Lies My Brother Told Me
by Twisted Flame
Summary: Wyatt failed in bringing Chris back from the past last time. So now he tries a more direct approach. When he gets hold of Chris all that he needs to break him are locked in his head as bad childhood memories...
1. Chapter 1

SPOLIERS! LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS! I think the message is don't read unless you want it 'spoiled' Lol.  
  
Hey y'all this is my latest fic... Forget about the others for a while, they will be updated shortly, just slowly. I really hope you all enjoy it, because I get the feeling that I'm gonna enjoy writing it! This has some angst in it and probably a little bit of Chris bashing... *Hides from the Fuller fans* but I'm hoping it will be enjoyed by all... Please read and review, even if you didn't like it, just to tell me what you think.  
  
A TITLE WOULD BE GOOD, PEOPLE! REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! It seems a bit stupid to call a story "untitled"...  
  
Charmed Leo  
  
**********  
  
Ok, set after COWF and before Spin City... Leo doesn't know about Chris, the girls do... This is fine if you haven't seen Spin City, as it's set before but you need to have seen COWF or read spoilers etc. etc. to a) understand it and b) not have the show spoiled. This is something that popped into my brain one day and is yet to leave. Enjoy and leave a review.  
  
ME NO OWN! YOU NO SUE!  
  
**********  
  
"Piper, it's like two am..." Phoebe mumbled sleepily, shading her eyes from the harsh glare of the kitchen's overhead bulb. Her hair had the just-got- out-of-bed mussed up look and her powder blue pyjama bottoms were creased on one side. Her white tank top was coming off of both shoulders and she pulled the straps up, screwing her eyes shut. The middle sister blinked and then opened her eyes again feeling the pupils shrink quickly. Piper was busy in the refrigerator; the door flung wide open and the motor whining in protest, indicating that she had been in there a long time.  
  
"Yeah well when baby Chris doesn't want to sleep his Mommy doesn't sleep either..." Piper said, clinking two jars together as she spoke.  
  
"So you what? Tried to cryogenically freeze you to preserve yourself forever in a block of ice?"  
  
"No..." Piper's voice sounded odd, her head still jammed deep inside the fridge. "I'm fixing myself a snack..."  
  
"Would this be a normal snack or a pregnancy craving snack?" Phoebe asked nervously. She got her answer when her big sister emerged with a pack of cheese and some marmalade. "Piper, please tell me that they are for two *completely* different snacks?" Piper shrugged and began slicing bread and cheese and then spreading butter and marmalade.  
  
"Cheese and marmalade... That's gotta be a new one..." Phoebe said and Piper bit into her sandwich. She pulled a face as marmalade oozed out from in between the bread and plopped onto the plate. "Chris is making you eat the weirdest things..."  
  
"I know... But hey, my guess is that my body needs these weird things, right?" She sat down at the kitchen table. "Did I wake you up, sweetie?" Phoebe did not answer, she was staring at Piper's round stomach is a daze, envisioning the tiny life that was growing there and imagining that pain that he would have to go through if big Chris failed to protect Wyatt and the future.  
  
"Phoebe?"  
  
"Hm? What?"  
  
"What did you see?"  
  
"Huh? Oh! I wasn't having a premonition..."  
  
"Oh..." Piper said, sounding surprised. She mopped up the globule of fallen marmalade with her finger and then licked it clean. "What were you thinking about then? You were miles away..." She looked into Phoebe's face but Phoebe didn't look back at her.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it..." Piper shrugged again and stacked her plate in the sink.  
  
"Do you want to go back to bed? I'll try not to make too much noise..." She gave a small smile and felt Chris kick in her stomach. She put her hand absently to her tummy and smiled.  
  
"Is he kicking again?" Phoebe ran over to Piper and bent her knees, resting her hands on her sister's swollen belly. She felt a soft little push as baby Chris kicked at the wall of the womb. She grinned and clapped her hands together. "Aw!"  
  
"You won't be saying 'aw' when it comes to you and you have back pain, nausea and weird cravings!" Piper warned, but Phoebe was too enthralled with her unborn nephew to notice.  
  
"He did it again!" Phoebe squealed.  
  
"Phoebe, you'll wake Paige!" Piper chided, trying to squirm out of her sister's grasp.  
  
"Yeah, like that's going to happen..." They both laughed and went into the living room to watch whatever late night shows happened to cross their TV screen.  
  
**********  
  
Chris stood motionless on the middle pillar of Golden Gate Bridge watching the Eastern horizon blush pink with the coming dawn. Above him and behind him the sky still had hints of night which were fleeing rapidly from the growing glow in front of him. He looked down at the Bay and then out across the city. A warm breeze blew from across the rooftops and lifted up stray tendrils of hair as it brushed past him. The sun's timid orange head was starting to make an appearance over the skyline and a small contented smile played across his lips. He inhaled deeply through his nose and closed his eyes, letting clean, crisp air that was far out of the reach of pollution and dust fill his chest.  
  
The first rays of the sun crept down to the shoreline and made the blue water sparkle with hundreds of dancing shimmering lights. The whole city looked so fresh and clean as the warm light spread over houses and high- rise buildings, glinting on black reflective glass and metal and shimmering in swimming pools and ponds...  
  
His face darkened slightly and the contented smile faltered as he mentally compared this San Francisco with the San Francisco of twenty-two years from now. The bay filled with bloated, rotting bodies – not all of them pollution choked, oxygen starved fish – and the city in part ruins. In the future a permanent smog hung over the city and the bay was dark with oil and rubbish. Buildings had crumbled; parks were overgrown and brown...  
  
A little over two decades from now this very bridge – such a strong, prominent feature jutting out over the water – would be a mass of rusting, twisted steel and iron, an enormous bulk of cracked and pitted concrete that hung precariously, waiting for the nudge that would come at any minute and send it crashing down to join the rest of it in the deep Bay waters. It would have collapsed at the very weight of him standing here if he had ever dared to try before.  
  
He looked down at his feet and shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets. How had so much beauty been turned into rubble? Hoe had Wyatt taken a thriving, pulsing city and turned it into a part wasteland? He looked back up at the lightening sky, little white clouds beginning their formation as the sun rose higher.  
  
"I'll stop you. That's a promise."  
  
"You'll stop who?" Chris jumped out of his skin and grabbed a steel cable to prevent himself from falling off of the pillar.  
  
"Paige! You scared me to death!" He accused, his heart pumping wildly.  
  
"Sorry. You weren't answering us. We were worried..."  
  
"I didn't hear you..." He turned away from her and looked back out again.  
  
"Wow... With a view like this I'm not surprised..." They stood in silence for another moment or to, ensnared and awed by the landscape beyond them.  
  
"Does it always look like this?" "Huh?" "In the future. Does it still look like this?" Chris felt a pang of emotion hit him. Again he sees the crumbled buildings, shattered and boarded windows, scummy brown pools, torn up streets, pollution, trash piled up on every street corner, people living in the semi-shelter of ruined buildings and trying their best to eat out of Dumpsters because they had nowhere else to go, oil drum fires on the streets, his and Bianca's headless angel statue... He shook his head sadly and sighed.  
  
"Let's just say you might wanna take a picture before time goes on any more..."  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
"You could say that..." Another breeze, this one cooler and off of the water, threw Paige's hair in her face and ruffled her shirt. She smoothed her top down and looked back at Chris, who seemed unaffected.  
  
"Wyatt... That's who you're going to stop, isn't it?" Silence. Paige looked at the back of his head but he didn't turn around or answer her question. A stronger gust of wind blew in the silence, and after a minute or so Paige picked up the conversation again without pushing him for an answer. "Piper wants you for breakfast, are you coming?"  
  
"Mmm? Oh, sure..." He orbed away just before Paige, the lights fading and leaving the scene tranquil once more.  
  
**********  
  
"Where have you *been* Chris? I was worried sick!"  
  
"Literally." Phoebe said from behind the paper, referring to Piper's recent bout of morning sickness.  
  
"Hush up, Phoebe!" Piper snapped. Phoebe just turned a page and didn't reply. "And where did you go to find him Paige? You could have orbed halfway around the world in the time it took you..." Phoebe put the paper down and mouthed over Piper's shoulder:  
  
'Hormones.' Chris made an 'o' shape with his mouth.  
  
"Sorry, I got up a little early and went out, that's all..."  
  
"Yeah well... You're gonna have a cold breakfast now..." Chris ate his breakfast without complaint. It wasn't actually that cold, Piper had just been exaggerating. He looked round at his Mom and his aunts and realised what a far cry this was from the future, and how few families ever got to sit down for a meal without finding at least one family member missing.  
  
**********  
  
"There are consequences. Selfish magic always brings about consequences. They're unavoidable."  
  
"Don't talk to me about consequences. This spell has taken months to find, you really think I'm worried about the consequences?"  
  
"Well yes, frankly I think you should b-" An energy ball incinerated the lecturing demon to a pile of smouldering ash on the boarded floor.  
  
"Anyone else want to tell me what I should think or do?" An uneasy silence throughout his band of demon guards. A lot of feet shuffling, a lot of inspecting the floor. But no one came forward to disagree. "No? Good. That's good... Somehow I didn't think there would be..." He crossed the room and picked up some chalk, re-drawing over old, faded lines of a previous Triquetera on the boarded wall. He unfolded a piece of paper and began to read.  
  
"Hear my Words  
  
Hear my rhyme  
  
Heed the hate  
  
Within my mind  
  
Send me back because I'm inclined,  
  
To take who I wish from space and time!" The Triquetera glowed blue and opened up revealing a portal where the wall had been. He nodded his approval and stuffed the paper back into his pocket.  
  
"You all go first. I'll follow soon. Carry out the plan, and don't harm anyone that could change time. Otherwise half of you won't be born, and the other half will wish that they hadn't been." One by one the demon guards walked to the hole and jumped through, each throwing themselves into the unknown and vanishing in a flash of light. 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews! I'm going to go a couple for chapters without a title, to give other people a chance to get in what they think, but I've already had some pretty good titles from quite a few reviewers and am very likely to use one of those.  
  
I was totally blown away by all of your reviews, thanks so much they really help a guy when he's feeling down. I got some reviews from my fabulous veteran viewers (go on, all of you bow! Lol.) But there was so much interest from new people! Thank you!  
  
piper+leo4eva: - I know that you won't be back in time to catch the update, but hopefully you can read it when you get back, hopefully with your head full, lol!  
  
Alcandre: - Aw, thanks so much. *Hug* I'm sure to, don't worry!  
  
Kiseki-no-neko: - Hey! Thanks for reviewing, Julia! I'm happy now! Lol, anyhoo... I love all of your possible fic titles (see above. Yup... That's all the way up there... ^)  
  
goldstranger: - It's been a while, huh? Yeah, I'm glad to be writing again, definitely!  
  
X3: - Ya, I know. Thanks for your review.  
  
Claddagh Ring: - Thank you!  
  
Freedra Kyes: - Can't tell you that, it's a plot secret! Lol...  
  
M J Rosemary: - Wow, thank you! Don't worry, I always try to get it all out as soon as I can.  
  
Ak8: - Thank you!  
  
Pixie Wildfire: - Hey! I'm sorry to hear about you being grounded... It sucks to be a teenager, huh? Thanks for your review; it's made me feel so happy! You were in my inbox again! You're right; your second title is cool. I like it but see above... Yes, I'm aware that's all the way up there, but please g anyways lol. Thank you so much for your offer of support, and I was just wondering why your plot for Learning to Tango was ruined? Did you loose the writing bug on your story or something? I hate it when that happens, but I'd really like to see you writing again soon.  
  
princesscatie21: - Yay, thanks! Another reviewer comes back to me! I guess I'm doing something right lol! Thanks so much!  
  
darkdestiney2000: - That's great, thanks!  
  
Anaxandra: - Ok, will do. Thanks a lot!  
  
Wow, if you guys keep this up then it's gonna take me a page every time I want to reply to you all! Thank you!  
  
Disclaimer: - Ok. Here it comes. I. don't. Own. Charmed. You. Don't. Sue. Me. Ok? Got it? Good.  
  
**********  
  
Chris sat cross-legged on the couch in the sun room, the Book of Shadows resting on his lap. The sun streamed in through the glass-panelled walls and fell onto the yellowing parchment pages. He turned another page, smiling slightly as he heard the familiar crackle, and sighed with contentment. He wasn't really looking for anything in particular, just the rhythmic motion of page flipping and reading was something that had always helped him calm down and think his best.  
  
Across the room Wyatt was sitting in his playpen hitting a small, brightly coloured xylophone and making his 'music'. Chris tuned out the high, clinking notes and turned another page. A demon. With a thick black cross made with a permanent marker through him. Ok, someone had got slightly overenthusiastic there...  
  
He suddenly wondered who had added the spell that he had used to take him back in time. He had never seen it in this past book... He turned over a few more pages to where he knew the spell was, and found a blank page. So the spell didn't exist yet. So someone in the future had created it. Meaning that even though he took the spell from the future Wyatt might still have a way to find it out. From someone. There was no way he could find it out from his Mom and aunts, they were all dead, but knowing Wyatt he would have found someone.  
  
His heart felt cold at the idea of Wyatt here in the Manor. In the past where he didn't belong. In all truth he himself didn't belong here either, but the damage that Wyatt could do would be immense. And all of it would benefit his brother in the future somehow...  
  
But no. it had been months since he had been taken to the future by Bianca. Wyatt would have found the spell by now, that is if he was going to at all... Chris reached for his glass of juice that he had left on the end table, and brought it to his lips before discovering that it was empty. He heaved the book off of his lap and put it in the empty seat beside him and went to the kitchen to refill his glass.  
  
He got to the foyer and heard a muffled thump from upstairs and stopped in his tracks. Who was up there? Paige was at a temp job and Phoebe was out as well. As far as he knew Piper was still lying down after complaining of back pain. So who was upstairs? Unless it was Piper and she had fallen over whilst going to the toilet or something. He had been told that she had blacked out a couple of times whilst pregnant with Wyatt...  
  
Chris orbed into Piper's room and found her lying on her bed, her eyes closed and some soft music coming from her stereo. She exhaled extra deeply and opened an eye, spotting Chris standing by the door.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" She opened both eyes and looked at him.  
  
"You didn't happen to roll off of the bed, did you?"  
  
"No..." Piper left the 'o' shape on her lips. "Why?"  
  
"I heard a thump from up here, are you ok?"  
  
"Yes... I assumed that was you in the attic, though."  
  
"I was in the sunroom..." Piper swung her legs off of the bed and, moving surprisingly fast for someone so heavily pregnant, grabbed her son's arm and together they orbed into the attic.  
  
The attic was eerily quiet, with no movement and only some floating dust particles illuminated in a shaft of sunlight could be seen. Both of them looked around the silent room, waiting for something to happen. Chris' eyes flicked from side to side, taking in the whole room. He turned around to look behind him, but there was nothing there.  
  
Piper gave a shriek as a demon jumped onto her back. It had appeared from empty air already leaping and it pulled her over. She landed heavily on the floor. Chris flicked a wrist and sent the demon flying into a wall. He helped Piper up, who turned and, with a flick of her own wrists, blew the demon to pieces. Again the attic fell silent.  
  
"Kind of anticlimactic for a demon attack, don't you think?" Piper said quietly, slowly revolving on the spot, her hands raised and her ears straining to catch any sound. Three more demons appeared in the attic, just out of the air again.  
  
"Yup!" Chris yelled, diverting an energy ball into a cabinet. The cabinet exploded, sending shards of glass flying and smouldering, splintered wood crashing to the ground.  
  
"Oh, so you couldn't have missed the cabinet?!" Piper yelled, raising her hands. She flicked them at the nearest demon and, as the power hit it in the chest it exploded into thousands of tiny pink hearts that fell in a cascade in front of the demon. It swiped them from the air in disgust as the bright pink lights faded.  
  
"Oh for Christ's sake! Damn pacifist babies!" Piper yelled, throwing her hands in the air.  
  
"Huh? Piper, what's going on?"  
  
"You're going on, that's what!"  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"I'm carrying a half-whitelighter, so therefore the baby is half pacifist and doesn't like Mommy blowing things up. It happened with Wyatt as well..."  
  
"I can tap into your powers? Like Wyatt? Really?" Chris seemed oddly happy about that, and Piper rolled her eyes.  
  
"Obviously!" She flicked her hands but instead of trying to blow anything up she froze the room, knowing that not even the biggest pacifist could disagree with that move. "Ok, let's orb!" The two of them disappeared in a shower of bright blue lights and reappeared in the sunroom. Piper took Wyatt out of his playpen, balanced him on her hip and went back to Chris.  
  
"Ok, now we go get Phoebe and Paige."  
  
"We could fight them off by ourselves..."  
  
"What, blind them with cute pink hearts? Nuh-uh. It's time to go see my sisters."  
  
**********  
  
"Phoebe, your sister is here with your nephew to see you." Phoebe looked up at the woman that had come in and took off her glasses. She hit 'save' on her laptop and frowned at her dark-haired secretary.  
  
"Chris isn't my nephew, he's too old..." She gave a nervous laugh. "Don't be silly..."  
  
"Huh? You have another nephew?" Phoebe suddenly caught on.  
  
"No. No, I don't... Wyatt's here?" She grinned. "Oh, that's what I meant... You should see him now; he does the cutest little..." She trailed off as it became clear that Rita was not interested in how cute Wyatt could be. "They can see me if they want," She said quietly. The woman left and Piper, Chris and Wyatt entered the office. "Hi, guys!" Phoebe said happily, spinning her chair around away from the desk and getting out. She saw their faces, and her own expression fell. "I'll just go put on some mildly sensible shoes."  
  
**********  
  
Paige arrived in the foyer in a flurry of orbs just as her two nephews and sisters appeared. She waited for them to materialise before speaking.  
  
"Guys, what is it?"  
  
"Demon trouble." Piper said.  
  
"Do you think I'd order you home for anything else?" Phoebe asked, making for the stairs.  
  
"No, but 'Paige, get home, now' is kinda mysterious, ya know? I thought Piper had gone into labour or something."  
  
"Nope, Chris is still firmly inside me. As we can tell by the pretty little display of pink hearts earlier." Piper glared at Chris.  
  
"Hey, it's not *my* fault!" He paused. "Well not big me anyway..." Piper narrowed her eyes and followed her sisters upstairs.  
  
"Pink hearts?"  
  
"Don't ask!" The eldest witch snapped, handing Wyatt to his brother and now leading the way to the attic. She cautiously opened the door a crack and peered through. The attic was empty again, but once again it was that strange kind of empty, the kind of empty that was there just before something happened. To quote a much-used cliché: The calm before the storm.  
  
Piper opened the door and her sisters followed her in. Phoebe went to say something but Piper made motions to shush her, listening for something. There was a small sound behind her and she whirled around, throwing out her hands and freezing a marble in midair that had rolled off of a stack of boxes. She relaxed slightly, feeling stupid, but then heard her sisters shout. She turned and saw Phoebe in floating in the air, avoiding an energy ball.  
  
"Energy ball!" Paige yelled, calling it to her and throwing it back at the demon before it could hit the door and dissipate. Her aim was off and it missed, smashing into the couch and blowing a cloud of white stuffing into the air, toppling it over.  
  
"What is it with this family and destroying furniture?!" Piper yelled, flicking her hands. Three butterflies flapped their way over to the demon, and Piper groaned. The demon swiped at the air, but the fluttering insects stuck themselves over the demon's eyes, blinding him. The demon clawed at his face, but the bugs didn't come loose.  
  
"See, there are some good pacifist powers." Phoebe said, channelling a demon's power and reversing its own energy ball, vanquishing it in a ball of flame.  
  
"Glass!" Paige yelled, and a large shard from Chris smashing the cabinet earlier appeared and went through the blinded demon, not stopping until it embedded itself, quivering, in the boarded wall after coming out of the demon's back. The demon looked at the hole through its body, completely shocked, and turned into a pile of grey charred cinders on the floor.  
  
More demons appeared but, as Piper raised her hands, disappeared just as quickly. The sister's looked around suspiciously but the attic was empty, and this time actually felt it.  
  
**********  
  
"Come on, come on!" Chris murmured in frustration, flicking quickly through the book. There was something familiar about those particular demons; he just couldn't put his finger on it... He carried on flipping through, past spells and potions; past vanquished demons and warlocks and came to the back cover. "Oh what? That's it?!" He slammed the book closed and jumped up from the couch, pushing both of his hands through his hair. "Damnit!" He made a aggravated motion with his arm and a vase of flowers was swept off of the sideboard and shattered on the opposite wall.  
  
'Ok, breathe Chris, breathe... Don't loose control now...' He thought. He inhaled and exhaled again, closing his eyes. When he opened his eyes again he felt slightly calmer. He was looking into the mirror on the sideboard, not seeing his reflection because he was in the wrong position but seeing the rest of the room. He looked away from it and was about to turn back to the book when a movement caught his eye.  
  
He looked again in the reflective surface and saw nothing. He didn't turn, but stared at the mirror, flicking his wrist at it. The power hit and bounced off - something he'd discovered that he was able to do in his mid- teens – and a strangled cry sounded out followed by a huge crash as a demon went straight through one of the sunroom's windows.  
  
"Whoops..." He stepped up to the shattered pane and looked through at the demon lying on its back in the garden.  
  
"I'll kill you for that!" The demon growled, forming an energy ball in his palm.  
  
"Come on, try it!" Chris taunted, moving his hands so that they were in a better defensive posture.  
  
"Wait, just wait! You'll fall, you're all so arrogant, all of you witches, and you're so..." Chris stopped listening and turned, realising that that demon was probably just a distraction. Three more were behind him; all standing with their arms folded and smirks on their faces. Chris spotted a green armband on a demon and his eyes widened.  
  
"Wyatt..." He whispered, his heart going cold. Wyatt's tracker demons went out in squadrons, and the leaders of every gang of them wore green bands. Their job was to go to a target and bring it back. They had powers, in case of resistance, but they had nowhere near the level of powers that some of Wyatt's other demons had. They could just step in and out of different planes, which would explain the way that they disappeared and reappeared. He should have known what they were from the start, but after he'd taken the spell he's just assumed that Wyatt couldn't send anyone else to follow him, so...  
  
The other sections of his Underworld army wore different colours to indicate a different trait. Strong, attack-type demons wore red bands, whilst a blue band meant upper-level respect and intelligence. An orange band indicated a fire-orientated demon, and a grey band meant a guard demon.  
  
Demons for espionage wore a black or a white band to avoid standing out and to be less conspicuous, and a purple band meant an evil creature other than a demon; a banshee, a vampire, warlocks... All in all there were about twenty different colours and sections, and Chris thought that a certain symbol on a band meant something, because there were several different emblems, but he had never found out what they meant.  
  
"Piper!" He shouted, dropping to the floor and rolling, avoiding an energy ball and crouching behind a wicker chair. He breathed heavily, waiting for a demon to come round the sides of the chair and... He flung out his arm, blasting it backwards into a table. Another one met a similar fate, ruining another window as it flew.  
  
He raised his arm again. But a demon grabbed both of them, pinning them in front of him. He struggled and then squinted, throwing the demon over Wyatt's playpen and into a crumpled heap with his power. He turned and was seized around the throat, the demon lifting him high into the air. He grabbed the wrist that was squeezing him, attempting to pull it off but to no avail. His legs kicked uselessly at air, and his body was screaming for air.  
  
"W-w-Wyatt... D-danger..." He croaked, watching his brother's force field spring up. He didn't really think that the demons would be dumb enough to kill the kid that became their boss in the future, but you never knew...  
  
"Armchair!" Paige yelled, her and her sisters finally arriving on the scene. The chair hit the demon that was choking Chris, knocking it off of its feet and sending it sprawling. Unfortunately it didn't let go of the half-whitelighter and dragged him down with it. Piper flicked her hands and this time her baby didn't protest and she blew one demon to pieces, an armband flying limply and bloodstained to hit the wall before falling to the floor from the centre of the explosion.  
  
Chris groaned and rolled over, getting shakily to his hands and knees and taking in deep gulps of air. Paige put down a hand to help him up, but the demon then grabbed the half-witch's ankle and when the demons left in the room dematerialized, Chris disappeared with them.s 


	3. Chapter 3

Whoa! Thanks so much, you're all great! Once again this is going to remain untitled so everyone can have a say. But I've had some pretty great ideas, and I'll be using one of those in the next chapter or so.  
  
princesscatie21: - Yes, they have Chris. Don't be too upset!  
  
Kata Malfoy: - Thank you! I love your title, it's cool.  
  
gimmeabreak: - Thanks a lot!  
  
SpiritOfEowyn: - I like your pen name. Thanks for your review, you're so nice!  
  
ChRsTiNe17: - I am, I really like this story and I don't want it to die out!  
  
Claddagh Ring: - Wow, thanks! I'm glad you like it, thank you so much for reviewing.  
  
Teresa : - You can? That's great! Lol, thanks for your review, it means so much to me!  
  
cherry7up56: - Thank you! You're so kind.  
  
Dev: - We'll see about Leo ok? Lol thanks for reviewing.  
  
Devonny: - Yeah, I like your title. It's going in the draw with all of my other titles, lol.  
  
gaby (hyatt: - Thank you so much!  
  
Goldstranger: - Yeah, we've had this conversation about muses, huh? Mine happens to be here right now, and I'm glad for it. Thanks for your review, you're great!  
  
M J Rosemary: - Wow, thanks so much! Yes, there will be angst, it just hasn't appeared yet in the first few chapters. It will be here, don't worry. Thanks for your review, you're so kind.  
  
line100: - I think this is mainly going to be a fic centred on Chris' childhood, and what it was like growing up with a tyrant for a brother. There will be some Piper of course, but it's not a fic that revolves around her.  
  
Anaxandra: - Yeah, I liked that bit as well. Thanks for your review, you're so kind.  
  
Magicgrrl: - Thanks! Uh... Maybe they should invest in some steel walls? Or at least some two feet thick, reinforced concrete ones... Thanks for your review, now you go crawl quietly back to your padded cell, ok? Lol thanks a lot.  
  
darkdestiney2000: - I will, don't worry. Thanks so much, your comments mean so much to me.  
  
And Pixie Wildfire, thanks for offering to beta this fic.  
  
You're all brilliant! Seventeen reviews, that's so great! Thank you all so much and continue enjoying this story.  
  
Charmed Leo  
  
**********  
  
Chris angrily swept his captors across the room with a wave of his arm. All three of them hit the wall at the same time, sliding to the floor as one. His arm shot out again, flinging the demons over his head and into the wall behind him. Satisfied he orbed out, his body being covered by a blanket of swirling orbs. The lights hit the vaulted stone ceiling and bounced off, flinging the radiance into the walls and finally onto the floor again.  
  
Chris reappeared in a heap, clutching at his head in pain. He groaned and rolled over, cursing himself for not realising that the room would be protected. The room was small – no more than ten feet wide – and as far as he could see there wasn't a door. Torches flared around the walls, casting an orange inconsistent glow over the whole place. The room was empty, nothing on the walls, nothing on the floor. And nothing looked anything remotely like a weapon.  
  
He glared at the pile of snapping snarling demons in a pile on the floor. As Chris watched, they changed. Their eyes grew larger and became red slits. Dark brown fur rippled down their backs and their noses bulged outwards into elongated snouts. Claws sprouted from their fingertips and they fell from upright to all fours, howling.  
  
Chris looked slightly shocked and took an involuntary step backwards. He'd never seen any of Wyatt's demons in anything but human form.  
  
They had transformed into dogs or, better put, jackals or wolves. They were tracker demons, seek and fetch was pretty much all that they knew, so it made sense that they would be wolf-like.  
  
But they were still demons, still vulnerable to his powers. He hardened his resolve, knowing that the only way out of here was for him to be taken out by one of the demons. One of them snarled and gnashed long, yellow teeth, letting a long, thick trail of saliva dangle from his jaws.  
  
"Take me back! Now!" He got no response and raised his arm again, only to have it snatched from the air and dragged behind his back. The demons were gone and were now apparently behind him, and the one holding him was now in semi-human form, able to walk upright but still with fur and a snout. Chris flung his free arm backwards, but nothing happened. He couldn't aim if he couldn't see what he was supposed to attack... He craned his neck backwards, but was unable to see anything behind him.  
  
He felt cold metal being pushed against the skin on his palm. He winced as the blade slashed at his hand, feeling a cold flash of steel in his flesh. He felt warmth coating his hand and dribbling off of his fingers, collecting at the tips of his digits in drops before falling to the floor. He could imagine the rivulet of blood running down...  
  
"His shirt." The voice was odd, a human with partially formed vocal cords, twisted and not quite in the right place. It sent shivers up Chris's spine. He frowned, trying in vain to hit something with his telekinesis. He failed again. Buttons sprang everywhere, pinging off of the walls as a demon tore the garment off. Underneath he was wearing only a thin T-shirt, and he shivered in the cold air of the dungeon room.  
  
Material was roughly pressed against his wound, gouging at raw tissue and absorbing blood. He grimaced as his wrist was shaken, making more blood fall onto his shirt. When the demons were done he snatched his hand out of their grasp and inspected it.  
  
A crimson line went straight from the bottom of his thumb joint to the bottom of his little finger and was still bleeding. He curled his fingers over the gash and then glared at his captors. They said nothing, just smirked at him. On the floor was his shirt, soaking up his own blood in a couple of places.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"So the witches can find you." Chris frowned slightly. He didn't quite get it. He threw them all into the ceiling, and then they dropped heavily to the floor. He settled down, sitting Indian style and leaning against the cool stone wall.  
  
"I can keep doing that all day y'know." He told the squirming pile, which at the moment was busy trying to untangle itself, snapping and snarling as it did so.  
  
**********  
  
The crystal swung over the map in ever-widening circles. Paige frowned, pushing red hair out of her face. Chris wasn't showing up on the map. Phoebe was blowing out candles, having failed in the spell to call a lost witch. Piper was pacing up and down the attic.  
  
"Got him?"  
  
"No, I think we need something to pull the crystal to him..."  
  
"Like what? It's not as if he's got tonnes of stuff here in the past!" Piper snapped, throwing her hands into the air and sending ribbons of rainbows streaming from her fingertips. Paige paused, watching the coloured arcs of lights shimmer near the ceiling.  
  
"How we use himself?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Piper, come here," Paige patted a chair next to her. Piper sat down, and Paige put the hand onto her sister's pregnant stomach. She exhaled, picked up the crystal and started scrying again. Almost immediately she felt the crystal tug, and the string went taut. She looked down and saw that it was pointing in the middle of a very busy section of street.  
  
"Paige, Chris is not being held captive on the middle of a street."  
  
"Not on it. But under it," Paige said, clearing the crystal off of the map. "Storm drains." Piper groaned.  
  
"Not the damn sewers again..." She got up out of the chair. "Who's staying to look after Wyatt?"  
  
"I need you to find Chris in case I go wrong..."  
  
"So I'll stay." Phoebe volunteered.  
  
"Thanks, sweetie." Paige motioned to Piper and orbed the two of them out along with the scrying map and crystal.  
  
**********  
  
"They would have found you by now. Let's go." Chris gave a snort of laughter. He had long since tired of the demons trying to free themselves from tangles that he kept blasting them into.  
  
"Like I'm gonna go anywhere with you..."  
  
"You'll do as you're told." The demon said, forming an energy ball in his hand. Chris gestured with his wrist tiredly, sending the energy ball out of the demon's hand and into another one of his captors, vanquishing it in a ball of fire.  
  
"Whoops." He said, looking up at the demon defiantly. He was back handed around the face and disappeared with the demon before he could react any more.  
  
**********  
  
"I don't see Chris," were Piper's first words as soon as she could see around her. They were in a small room with a mass of pipes protruding from the sides of the room and crossing the ceiling, coming up from the floor and going into the walls. They all made a mixture of a hissing and gurgling noise. Paige stepped distastefully out of the path of a falling drip.  
  
"Give me a minute, this place is a labyrinth," Paige took up the crystal again, reaching for Piper's hand. Again the crystal fell onto the map, and Paige rolled it up. "This way." The sister's walked off in the direction that Paige had been pointing.  
  
Soon they came up to a dead-end, the way blocked by a wall. Piper cocked an eyebrow at Paige, who just shrugged and looked sheepish, grabbing the crystal again and unrolling the map on the rubbish-strewn floor. It landed on the same spot that they were standing on.  
  
"He's here," Paige looked up at the wall blocking their path. It was less slimy and less age-worn that the stonework around it. "This wall, it's newer than the ones around it." Piper looked and saw that her sister was right.  
  
"Ok, stand back. Halliwell demolitions at your service." She rotated her shoulders backwards, shook out her neck and raised her hands. The wall exploded inwards, all in one blast, sending plaster dust, bricks and mortar flying into the sealed-off chamber beyond. They both started choking on dust, waving their hands in front of their faces to clear the air.  
  
"I don't see Chris." Piper said again. Paige squinted into the room, moving forward over a pile of bricks. One gave way and started a miniature landslide, making Paige grab the wall for support.  
  
"No, but I see his shirt..." She grabbed the piece of clothing, white dust clinging to a now pinkish damp patch. "It's got blood on it. Chris was never here, just his shirt."  
  
"Damnit... Let's go back to the Manor and try again." Paige agreed and orbed them out.  
  
**********  
  
Phoebe picked up her nephew and sat him on her knee. Wyatt continued plying with a stuffed bear. Phoebe smiled happily at him. Even if her secretary didn't care about how cute her nephew could be, she did. Wyatt dropped the bear and before Phoebe could bend to pick it up, Wyatt had orbed it to him.  
  
"Clever boy!" Wyatt gurgled and mumbled something from behind his pacifier. Phoebe smiled again, turning her attention the midday news on TV. The reader said something that Phoebe didn't quite catch, and cut to a reporter standing outside with a microphone. Phoebe saw that the remote was on top of the TV and didn't bother going to get it.  
  
A prickling feeling worked its way up the back of Phoebe's neck, and she nervously rubbed the spot. She felt as if there were eyes boring into the back of her skull. She turned, expecting to see a hoard of demons standing there but saw nothing.  
  
Uneasy now she turned back to the TV. She let out a loud shriek as suddenly a limp, unconscious Chris fell from the air, narrowly missing her as it hit the couch with a soft 'thud.' Her heart was beating wildly and she forced herself to take deep breaths to stop herself from passing out from the shock.  
  
"Oh my God, Chris!" She finally shouted. Her nephew didn't stir. Phoebe was about to shift Wyatt off of her lap to see to Chris when an energy ball headed straight for them. Phoebe shrieked and was suddenly consumed in glowing orbs, disappearing from the Manor.  
  
**********  
  
"Phoebe?!" Piper yelled, going to the door of the attic and opening it. "PHOEBE?!" Paige looked out of the window and did a double take.  
  
"Uh Piper?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think Phoebe's standing on the sidewalk." Piper crossed to the window, looking out as well.  
  
"Why is she standing on the sidewalk?" Phoebe spotted them looking and beckoned furiously.  
  
"I think she wants us."  
  
"So do I..."  
  
Paige orbed herself and Piper in under a large shrub in the front garden. They both rolled out, Piper with some difficulty, and went over to Phoebe.  
  
"Did you decide to take Wyatt out for air? Phoebe, there's a spare key under the flowerpot..."  
  
"No, Wyatt decided to stop us getting killed by an energy ball."  
  
"He orbed you out here? In broad daylight? With all the neighbours around us?!" Piper grew close to hysteria.  
  
"No one saw us," Phoebe paused. "Well no one screamed 'Witch! Witch!' and whipped out a gas can and a stake anyway..." She trailed off, seeing as neither of her sisters found this funny.  
  
"The demons attacked again?"  
  
"Yes, and they brought Chris back."  
  
"They brought him *back*?" Piper said in disbelief. "I know he can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but..."  
  
"I don't think that's why they brought him back."  
  
"So why are you standing out here? Why aren't you in there being the Kung Fu Queen?" They walked up the front steps and Paige reached for the door. She drew her hand back and swore loudly.  
  
"Hey, not in front of the kid!" Phoebe chided, covering Wyatt's ears. "That is why I'm not being the 'Kung Fu Queen.' The front door is frying people!"  
  
"Ok, so the door just shocked me, and I don't even get to swear?!" Paige complained, nursing her hand.  
  
"That's ridiculous..." Piper reached for the knob, then drew back her hand as well, cradling it to her chest. "Ok, maybe not so ridiculous. That's it, orb us in there." In the shelter of the porch they orbed away in relative security, and appeared in the foyer.  
  
"Chris?" Piper called. A young man came out of the lounge. He had long, thick blond hair and cold blue eyes. Eyes that pierced and were almost grey. He seemed amused to see them, especially baby Wyatt. He walked slowly over, his face twisted into a smile. "Who the hell are you? Get out!" Piper threw out her hands but he kept walking that slow deliberate walk, like he had all of the time in the world and all of the power was his.  
  
"Oh now, now. You really think that would work? I would have thought that you would have known better... Mother." 


	4. Chapter 4

LIES MY BROTHER TOLD ME. Do you like that title? I do! Thank you to Pixie Wildfire for that one!

I wrote quite a lot of this fic in a chemistry lesson… Who needs to revise to pass chemistry? Lol, yeah… Thanks for all of your great reviews, you're all so cool. I got a total head rush looking at all of the reviews you guys have given me. You're the BEST! I hope you all enjoy Chapter 4.

Pixie Wildfire**: - **Thanks a lot for being my beta. It really helped; I would never have got that bit about the demons done without you…

M J Rosemary: - And you shall find out soon. Thanks for your continued reviews and support.

Teresa: - Yeah, I know what you mean…

gaby (hyatt: - Yup, it's Wyatt! Lol…

X3: - Yeah, I know that feeling, poor Chris! Lol thanks for your review.

cherry7up56: - I'll try to be less cliff-hanger with the ending to this. Thanks a lot for your review.

Laheara: - Yeah, I liked that bit, I could just imagine Piper saying that as I was re-reading it looking for spelling mistakes so I added it…

goldstranger: - Point taken, I went back and read the spoiler and must have skimmed over the half a line where Piper says that she's changed her hair. Thanks for pointing that out, and thanks for your review.

gimmeabreak: - Thank you!

darkdestiney2000: - Sorry about the cliff-hanger. Don't hang for too long, here's a new chapter!

line100: - Thanks for continuing to read, I know you're a fan of Piper-centric, but I hope you can find somewhere that you can like this fic as well… I've decided to start updating quicker than I did on my other stories, as you can probably see lol!

Nautica7mk: - Thank you, glad you like it!

Magicgrrl: - I'd LOVE to have a padded cell! How cool! Sorry. Don't worry, I won't tell them… It's a SECRET… Thanks for your review.

Mor Cartel: - The Woogy? Uh… I don't believe he's coming back… *Checks plot* Nope, sorry… 

Tigerdrake: - I know, but by the time this comes up it will have one! Thanks for your review.

Claddagh Ring: - Thank you so much. I'm pretty sure there were some typos, but I was going for speed to keep people happy and I guess that's what that happened. After writing Piper for quite a while I think I've got her down, but Phoebe and Paige are totally different! Sometimes they're not quite right at all… But thanks for your review and encouragement. 

AJS: - Lol, just slipping in there! You just managed to get in just as I put the fic into the Document Manager. Great timing! Thanks for your comments, you're gret.

I warn you now ff.net is being slightly screwy with the way is shows reviews, and even though I got an alert telling me of your review I don't think ff.net is showing them all, and if it is then I'm just blind. I tried looking in my e-mail account at the reviews but because you're all so great I got totally LOST and had to give up. Forgive me if I've missed you off of the above list. 

And **Pixie Wildfire** deserves so much credit; I don't know where I'd be without my fabulous beta! Go here: and worship her!

Charmed Leo

DISCLAIMER: - You know how it is. I say I don't own them, you say that you won't sue me. Got that? Jeez, anyone would think you were dumb, me having to put this in EVERY chapter…

**********

Piper nearly dropped baby Wyatt in shock. She couldn't believe that the sandy-haired young man standing so nonchalantly in the foyer in front of her could be her son. Her son, little blond Wyatt, all grown up and from the future… 

"What have you done with Chris?" Paige demanded, guessing that somehow Chris' brother would be behind it. Why else would he be here at the Manor? She narrowed his eyes at him, forgetting that he was her nephew; all she knew was that he was a threat.

"He's not here right now."

"Liar." Paige said, still glaring at him. Piper held up a hand to quieten her sister. Wyatt didn't answer Paige but strolled back into the living room and the sisters followed him, finding him leaning against the fireplace, a framed photo in his hand.

It was a photo that Piper was particularly fond of, a picture of her holding the handles of Wyatt's stroller. On either side of her were her sisters, their arms wrapped around her back. Phoebe's hair was still long, and Paige's was still red. Crouching next to the stroller was Leo, tucking a blanket around his son against the wind.

Piper remembered that day; they had been in Golden Gate Park, standing in the middle of a paved walkway. Above them trees with interlacing branches form an arched avenue above them, the light filtering through leaves flushed red and orange with fall. All of them were glowing, happy smiles radiating off of their faces, cheekbones red and healthy-looking from the keen wind. Piper could almost feel the contentment coming off of the photograph. 

Big Wyatt glared at it, his knuckles growing white as he held it in such a fierce grip. He took one last look at it, curled his lip into a sneer and threw it across the room with an angry growl. The glass shattered, sending shards dropping to the carpet and the frame cracked, allowing the picture to slide so that it was half-hidden.

"Hey!" Piper yelled, raising her hands too late. Wyatt stormed out of the room, his feet crunching on broken glass. Paige grabbed her sisters' arms and orbed them in front of Wyatt. He stopped when he saw the lights and waited for them all to appear.

"I should have thought about protecting this place from orbing." He said, holding out his hand, palm facing them. The Charmed Ones and baby Wyatt were blasted out of the Manor doors, which opened for them, and outside.

"Danger!" Piper shouted, and baby Wyatt put his shield up over his mother and aunts, protecting them from the fall onto the concrete steps. They led in a tangled pile for a minute before Piper managed to persuade her baby to put down the force field around them. Big Wyatt stood at the Manor doors, closing them with a point of a finger.

"He threw us out of the Manor?!" Piper shouted in disbelief. "It's our freaking house for crying out loud!" She picked herself up off of the floor.

"Now what are we gonna do?"

**********

Chris stared but all he could see was the powder blue material in front of his eyes. Wyatt had blindfolded Chris with his very own childhood blanket, something that was ironic in a way that Chris couldn't be bothered to work out. As far as he knew he was still the sunroom, tied to a chair and blindfolded after throwing a demon across the room, but in the sunroom nonetheless. 

He tried orbing again, and once again landing in a heap on the floor and still tied up, just not to the chair. He sighed and rolled over onto his back, wondering if he could put together a makeshift spell to counteract an orbing shield. Suddenly he cried out as, without warning, he was dragged up by a fistful of hair and dumped back onto the chair.

"Sit and stay," Chris felt himself being strapped back to the chair. "Why is that too much to ask?"

"Sit and stay? And this coming from a dog-demon?" Claws raked down the side of his face gently – as gently as claws _could_ be – just about drawing blood. Chris could smell foul breath and feel warm, sticky moisture trickling down his neck and into his shirt. He would have loved to send the demon flying right then, but to do that he had to see, and his sight, at the moment, was something that was completely impaired.

**********

Wyatt watched the jackal taunt the boy in front of him with a small smirk on his face as the animal scratched its claws down the boy's cheeks, leaving long, painful looking red lines. He watched with amusement as Chris tried not to squirm or duck away from the pain, trying to keep up a front. It annoyed Wyatt when he succeeded, he would much rather have seen Chris at least wince at the claw-marks.

Poor little noble Chris. 

His skinny arms were tied to the chair, legs bound as well. The boy struggled, scrunching his face to possibly let the blanket slide enough for him to see. 

~ "For I am Chris! The Light Avenger! With this blue cape, I shall fly in and save the day with my trusty sidekick, Wyatt! The Amazing Orber!"

_"You got it wrong!" Wyatt complained, hopping off of the bed. "It's Wyatt the _Dark_ Avenger and _Chris_ the Amazing Orber." He looked at his brother with contempt, as if wondering how he had managed to get it confused._

_"Is not!"__ Chris protested. "I'm _always_ the sidekick! I want to be the Light Avenger!"_

_"Fine.__ MOM! CHRIS ISN'T LISTENING!"_

_"Chris, listen to your brother." The voice drifted up the stairs and through the closed door. Chris' face fell as Wyatt took the blue cape in triumph. ~_

Wyatt shook his head, sending thoughts of sky blue capes and Light and Dark Avengers away and instead focused on the boy tied up in front of him. The one that had caused him so much trouble. 

"You shouldn't do that, Chrissy. It'll only make the process worse." He taunted, pacing around his captive.

Chris snorted and resumed his struggles with a sluggish vigour. "I never give up, Wyatt. You know that."

Wyatt just shook his head and walked over to the cabinet, looking at all the pictures that cluttered the old shelves.  He reached in and grabbed the first one his fingers got hold of.  It was a picture of… who was she again? Damn P's. There were too many of them, in his opinion. 

Ah, he remembered now. Penny. The one that had tried to take his powers. He smirked at the thought of sending the spirit into a glass orb. He still kept it, tossed carelessly into the bottom of a trunk. The old woman had been annoyingly hard to overcome, considering that she was, after all, already dead.

Wyatt let the picture drop to the floor as he reached for another. It was an older picture. A wedding picture. He furrowed his brows, trying to place names… 

("…and this over here is my mommy, your grandma Patty, and over here…")

The other man in the picture looked much more familiar. Dark hair, a happy, wide smile. Glittering brown eyes. 

Oh. Right. Victor. Chris had always liked him; Wyatt was less fond of him. His estranged grandfather – who rarely came to visit and yet always found the time to send money - was been one of the last members of his family left alive, the other being Chris…

The glass in the frame smashed as it hit the other frame and Wyatt moved through the case, remembering and shattering.

**********

"Piper, after the first load of rose petals started building up around our ankles I would have thought that you would have learned that it's not going to work."

"No, it's ok, I've just got to get Chris into the blowing up things mood."

"Piper, we're going to _drown_ in damn petals!" Piper ignored her sister, shook out her neck and tried again. More pink petals drifted down from the roof of the porch. Paige blew up at her hair to dislodge any blossom that might have fallen there.

"Piper, honey, I don't think Chris is gonna let you use your power any time soon…"

"I blew up a demon earlier! How can he object to a door when he let me blow up a living creature?!" She sat down heavily on the seat with her sisters, making them both squish up to make room for her. Phoebe was trying to keep Wyatt occupied by showering him with rose petals, but he was tiring quickly and getting fussy.

"What time is it?" Piper checked her watch. 

"Nearly four-fifteen."

"Four-fifteen? We've been sitting out here for four hours?!" Paige said in disbelief. 

Piper nodded and narrowed her eyes in thought. "I'm gonna try the back door again." 

"Nuh-uh! Piper, you've already created enough flowers back there for us to fill three of Wyatt's wading pools _and _the Land Rover. Move over." Phoebe said, stepping up to the door.

"You tried breaking down the door Pheebs. Not only did you break a heel you also got shocked. And don't try levitating to the balcony again, one of the neighbours will see…"

"Hush up back there…" Phoebe reached back for Piper's hand and exhaled. "Ok…" She closed her eyes, raised a hand and flicked it at the door, which glowed red but did not move.

"Oh, and you didn't try this four hours ago because…?"

"Because I didn't think about it four hours ago… Now, shush, I think it's working…" She raised her hands again, blasting the door. Instead of any glow a cascade of daisies streamed from the lock and the cracks around the frame.

"Daisies," Paige commented as Phoebe was beaten back by the torrent. "Thanks for the change, Chris."

**********

"Wyatt, what are you doing?" Chris asked, hearing yet another crash from behind him. Wyatt said nothing to Chris but picked up another photo. He went to drop in, but then appeared to recognize it and stopped. He grinned at it, then at Chris. He dropped the frame but bent down and swept the glass off of the photo, retrieving it from the floor.

Wyatt went over to his bound younger brother, who was still struggling, and Chris froze as he heard someone approach him. Wyatt started tugging at the blindfold and Chris then spoke up.

"Wyatt?"

"I'm going to take this off for a while; I've got something to show you. Promise not to try anything?" Chris didn't answer, but felt his body tense up. He was going to get to see! And seeing meant he could use his power. Wyatt laughed. When Wyatt laughed it felt like someone was pouring a bucket of ice cubes down the back of your shirt. It wasn't a nice sound. "I know what you're thinking, Chris. And it's not as if you could win if you did try it."

"I did pretty well last time we met." Wyatt ignored him and pulled the blanket down around Chris' neck. Chris blinked in the harsh light, trying to force his pupils to adjust quicker than they would have done normally.

"Last time? You didn't win, you ran! Straight back through the portal!" Chris waited for Wyatt to come around in front of him and into his line of vision. "Chris, do you remember this photo?" Wyatt asked after a short silence.

Chris looked at it. It was a picture of baby Wyatt, sitting on a stool that was covered in a soft white blanket. Piper and Leo were either side of him, smiling for the camera. Wyatt was looking confused and was just about looking at the lens when the flash went off. They had got a professional photographer to do it.

"I wasn't even born when it was taken, but yeah, I've seen it around. So?"

"Exactly! You weren't even born! Can't you see how happy we all were before you came along?"

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" He pushed the photo closer to Chris' face, who had to fight the temptation to blast his brother out of the room.

_"Now, now, Chris.__ You catch more flies with honey than vinegar…" _

He had no clue who had told him that, – he had a feeling that it had been Great Grams on one of her spectral visits – but it was good advice and had actually worked on Wyatt on more than one occasion. So Chris restrained himself, hoping to talk himself out of this mess. Under these circumstances sending his older brother flying would not be the best plan.

"Oh so what is it, Wyatt? You want me to apologize for being born? Is that is?" He shook his head, staring down at his lap. "Get away from me, Wyatt."

"No, it's true. Why do you think dad left, huh?" 

Chris's face didn't change, but his eyes got a steely glint in them. "Shut Up."

The older boy only rolled his eyes and looked back at the picture. "Why didn't dad come when it happened? Because he didn't want to see you, the little nuisance."

"Shut up." Chris' jaw had developed a tick and his eyes were narrowed. 

"It was all. Your. Fault."

Chris gave out a howl of rage, mingling with a burst of pain. It had been nearly a decade since his Mom had died and even now the pain was still there, and sometimes still raw. He had come back to save his family, in the process seeing his Mom again, and he couldn't decide whether that had been a help or not. It had opened old wounds, opened old attachments and he was not ready to relive memories of her death through Wyatt's taunting.  "I SAID SHUT UP!" He meant to blast his brother away, but Wyatt only grabbed Chris' face, holding it still, a sadistic smirk upon his face.  

"You wanna see?" Wyatt didn't wait for an answer. He put a finger on Chris' cheek and Chris felt a cold blast shoot through his body.

"Whoa." He muttered, opening his eyes.

_~ Five-year-old Chris held a fat red crayon in his hand and doodled on a piece of paper. He was sitting at the kitchen table whilst the rest of his family, including Wyatt, were crowding around the Book of Shadows on the kitchen island. He put down the red and picked up a blue, continuing to draw._

_"Was that him?" His family were talking but he was paying no attention, too engrossed in colouring. He finished the drawing with flourish, spelling out a shaky 'Chris' in pink and sliding off of his chair, clutching the drawing in his hand._

_"If we can't find him then an all-purpose vanquish, right? The purple exploding one's still good…"_

_"Looks like it's gonna have to be."_

_"It's finished!" Chris said._

_"You're _sure_ that's not him?" Wyatt shook his head and Piper sighed, turning another page. Chris knew that they were looking for a demon that had attacked Wyatt. Wyatt was always being attacked by demons. Chris was rarely attacked; the powers coming off of him were apparently not so drawing as the powers coming from Wyatt…_

_"Did you get a good look at him, Wyatt?" Wyatt frowned and then shook his head._

_"No, not really…"_

_"I did!" Chris piped up, having been hiding behind the couch at the time._

_"Really, Chris? Good for you…" Leo said, ruffling his hair._

_"I was behind the couch, and-" Chris missed the sarcasm in Leo's voice – the tone that didn't want to hurt his son's feelings but didn't give any credit to the answer either._

_"What did we say about stories?" Piper asked, looking down at Chris whilst unscrewing a jar lid at the same time._

_"Making them up is bad?" Chris answered._

_"That's right. Good boy." There was a short silence and everyone went about doing something._

_"Pink's a girls' colour," Wyatt said suddenly, jabbing a finer at Chris' picture where the scrawled signature was. "Chris is a girl!"_

_"No! Dad! Tell Wyatt that he's wrong!"_

_"Huh?" Leo said, looking up. "Wyatt, you're wrong." Chris poked his tongue out at his brother._

_"But pink's a _girl's_ colour, Dad!" Wyatt whined, hating being told that he wasn't right.  Leo frowned, an upbringing in the twenties and thirties giving him a biased view of such matters._

_"Yeah, you're right. Pink _is_ a girls' colour…" He turned back to the family huddle. Chris bit back tears at Wyatt's smirk._

_"I could draw over it! In blue! Or black!"_

_"That's great!" Chris' face lit up._

_"It is?"_

_"If we combine this potion to the one we made the other week, then…" Oh. So they weren't talking about his picture then…_

_"But…" Everyone was poring over the book, too busy for him right now. He paused then waved the picture, hoping to get some attention. "I finished!" He pronounced again, scrambling up onto a stool to get his head above the island's surface. He put it on the table. "See, there's Mom, and that's…" _

_"That's great sweetie!" Piper said, sweeping the drawing onto the floor accidentally to make room for potion ingredients. "We'll put it on the fridge…" Chris clambered off of the stool and fetched the drawing._

_"Now?"__ He asked eagerly._

_"Uh-huh…" Piper said, measuring out a green liquid, her tongue poking out between her lips._

_"What's that?" Chris asked curiously. He liked learning the names of potion ingredients; he sometimes made pretend potions with fizzy drinks, giving each drink a different ingredient name. Piper looked down at him for a second and the measuring cup overflowed, sending the liquid spattering all over the picture. Piper sighed in exasperation._

_"Chris, sweetie, go do some drawing, yeah?"_

_"But I already did…" He showed her the dripping crayon picture._

_"That's lovely, go and do another one, Mommy's a little busy right now…" Chris' smile faltered._

_"Oh… Ok…" He went back over to the table, trying to brush goo off of his picture. It clung to his hand and managed to smear the normally waterproof wax. Wyatt smirked at him, liking being superior and the centre of attention whilst Chris sat doodling at the table out of the way. "There's Mom, and Wyatt, and that one is the demon that attacked this morning…" Chris mumbled, having seen a very good likeness in the Book of Shadows in an entry that his family weren't paying attention to. ~_

"You see, Chris? You were an annoyance; you got in the way…" Chris jumped, hearing Wyatt's voice hissing in his ear.

"W-what? How'd you do that?"

"Magic Chris. It's how we witches do a lot of things nowadays… And has it allowed you to see what a nuisance you were? Always demanding attention when Mom needed to have her full concentration on other things, always-"

"That's not true, Wyatt. That was a totally biased memory! They were busy, trying to cook up a potion to save your sorry ass…"

"So that's what you told yourself? That they were too busy? So it's not just that they didn't care, right, Chrissy?" 

"They cared."

"Doesn't look like it," Chris glared at Wyatt, finally loosing any self-control that he had left and throwing his brother backwards and out of the door. "Think about it Chris," Wyatt called from the other room. "Just think about it." 

Chris turned away from Wyatt and stared out of a shattered window. A single crystalline tear rolled down his face, dropping off of his chin and disappearing into his jeans.


	5. Chapter 5

**Lies my Brother Told Me ~ Chapter 5**

**Pixie Wildfire: -** Yeah, I love my beta! You'll have to meet her someday, she's great! She's got all of these wonderful ideas and the chapters wouldn't be the way they are without her. ^_~ Love ya.

**goldstranger: -** I'm glad you felt that way! Well not glad… Or am I? I don't know, the aim was to get people feeling bad for Chris, not to make them feel bad! But if it worked that way I think that's good… Who knows? *shrug* Thanks for the review! There's more angst to come, though…

**Magical Princess: - **Thank you! And yes, Wyatt is mean. And poor Chris! Lol, thanks for your review and there is more angst to come yet!

**cherry7up56: -** I know, writing it makes me feel that! Thanks for your review, you're so kind.

**Pheniox-skye: -** THANKS!

**TickledPink****: -** Thank you! You really are very kind, your review was so nice! Thanks a lot.

**Tigerdrake****: -** You like the title? Well as with a lot of things that sprang from Pixie Wildfire's head and I really liked it too, so there it is!

**Queen of the Elven City: -** Thanks. 

**Cat: -** Thanks a lot! I know it's sad, and there is more angst to come.

**Magicgrrl****: -** Ok… *backs away slowly* This is scary… Bounce, bounce wheeeeeeee! Ok. Back to business now. Thanks for your review, now I know all about the loony bins… Thanks for saying that you loved the story, it was really kind of you.

**M J Rosemary: -** Thank you so much! You're so cool, thanks a lot. I always love reading your reviews; they make me feel so happy! 

**Taynna: -** Whoa! Ok then! Thanks for all three of your HUGE reviews, my e-mail provider was complaining like hell, lol! Thanks a lot. It was nice talking to you as well, drive safe!

**Ok, review number 1:** Yes, Wyatt wants to rule with fear. He wants all the people to be scared of the arrogant tyrant that now rules, so his demons go out colour-coded to keep that fear strong. Yeah, I thought it was funny about the symptoms, although it's also really convenient, it stops them getting into the house if Piper can't blow anything up. ^_~

**#2, here we go:** That was when Paige was in jail, right? And they had to get a payment or something off of the house to bail her out, right? Anyway I did think about Wyatt being a little OTT, but you gave me a reason – it's genetic! Lol… Reading back I do agree with the sisters lack of concern, although I never really thought that the shirt was dripping in blood anyway, just a cut on his hand, although I suppose I could have made it clearer that there wasn't all that much blood on it.

**3! Lol: - **Yes, I know that he should have thought of that first, but then the sisters couldn't get into the house at all, and there wouldn't have been that scene where they found out the current evil was their nephew/son, so I really had to make Wyatt 'forget' to put a shield up, despite that fact that I believe that he's too smart to forget that kind of thing. I know, it seems odd now thinking that Wyatt used to prefer fireworks to explosions doesn't it? Ah, you shall find out what Wyatt's agenda is! It's a closely guarded secret! And yeah, to be honest I never thought about Wyatt being able to orb himself in, maybe he could do that…

**denna5: - **Thanks, I will!

**darkdestiney2000: - **Thank you! I was aiming for sad, thanks for your review.

**Claddagh Ring: - **Thank you! Thank you so much! You're too kind, you really are. I like Piper too! Thank you so much, it's reviews like that that I really appreciate, thank you! You're so sweet. Thank you for all of your compliments, they mean so much to me, they really do. Thank you for reassuring me on the characterization and thank you for being such a great reviewer!

**line100: -** yes, I'm feeling very proud of myself! I had a week of exams this week, and the teachers weren't giving me any homework, so I've had the time to update.

**Piper15: -** Thank you. And you'll have to wait and see about Wyatt!

**Dark Fires: -** Ok, I will. Thanks so much for your review.

**princesscatie21: - **Don't cry too much! Thanks for your review.

**Alcandre: -** Save the best 'til last! ^_~ Thanks for your review, and get that box on issues out for often. It's useful for… stuff… I'm sorry about your titles, they were great it's just this one was… more great? *hides* Ah-HA, wait no more, just read! Lol, thank you!

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! YOU'RE REALLY GREAT; YOU REALLY MAKE ME FEEL NEEDED.  THERE'S NOT REALLY MUCH I CAN SAY BUT THANKYOU, SO YEAH. THANKS.**

**For this chapter I'm going to twist the timeline slightly, not enough to make it an AU but probably enough to be noticeable. As you're a certain age for a whole year (14) then there's a year's gap that something can happen when you're fourteen. Like the day before your fifteenth birthday you can still do something when you're fourteen.**

**Also I'm not sure about Wyatt's birth date, so I twisted that as well slightly, making Chris' fifteenth after Wyatt's seventeenth, so Wyatt is older than Chris by that much**

Thanks for your continued reviews and support, and just to let you know there's not as much angst in this chapter.

Charmed Leo

**********

"We can't just sit here until tomorrow morning, you know!" Paige said in exasperation.

"It's not like we've just been sitting here all day!" Piper snapped back. "I mean at least Pheebs and I have _done_ something, Paige!"

"What, broke a heel and made sure we never have to call a florist again?!" Paige said, standing up and getting angry.

"Guys…" Phoebe said, rubbing her temples and suddenly feeling dizzy. Tears welled up in her eyes and she had to fight to stop them spilling. She was ignored in the heat of the argument.

"Well at least it's something Paige!"

"Hey, I've landed on my butt three times trying to orb in there!"

"Well-"

"GUYS!" Phoebe yelled, standing up and scaring Wyatt, who was sitting waist deep in petals on the porch floor, making him start to cry.

"Phoebe! We're trying to have an argument here!"

"Whoa…" Phoebe said her voice gaining a high, squeaky and upset note. She gave a loud sob, letting a few tears roll down her cheeks. She sat back down, clutching at the back of the seat for support. But then as quickly as it started it stopped. She shook her head. "I thought I'd got a grip on that…"

"Phoebe, what was it?"

"Pain," she said grimly, looking up at her sisters. "And one hell of a lot of it,"

**********

"So you wanna go again, little brother?" Wyatt sneered into Chris' blindfolded face. The jackal demon – growing tired of being thrown from one wall to another – had made Wyatt blindfold his brother again. Chris, who was still reeling from the last memory, shook his head and put up a brave front.

"What do you hope to achieve, Wyatt? What are you accomplishing by showing me these memories? Whatever it is, it's not working." Wyatt smiled and gave a small snort of laughter.

"That's a yes, then? You want to see another one?" Wyatt stepped closer to Chris, walking around behind him and putting his hands on his brother's shoulders. He lowered his face so that his chin was almost touching Chris' head and whispered: "And don't worry about it not working, baby brother. It will. Just wait." His hand shot out and gripped the top of Chris' arm, sending another cold rush through Chris like a subway train.

_Teenage Chris, no more than fourteen, was sitting on an unmade bed. The comforter was rumpled and half on the floor, the pillows creased. The room was untidy; a sea of clothes was strewn across the floor and was dotted with school-book islands. There was a variety of papers and books, some of them stacked haphazardly in piles, others face down and open. _

_Chris looked at them with worry. They were all his brother's - Wyatt's, books - and had titles such as _Demonic Seduction; Evil – the tie that binds; Realms of Hell… _All of them were adorned with embossed serpents or pictures of fanged, snarling demons or were just simply black with age._

_Wyatt fuelled his obsession for these kinds of books at second-hand book stores, so the books smelled musty and were stained and damp, some too spotted to read at all. Age had yellowed pages and crinkled paper, darkened leather and worn out spines. Chris didn't like the feel he got from those books at all. _

_But then of course not all of the books were evil ones. There were books on white magic, on crystals and potions, notebooks with spells copied from the Book of Shadows in them, and many were just normal teenage books, a geometry text book, a French one… There were a few fiction books as well, crammed to the point of overflowing on a bookcase._

_A baseball cap dangled from the bedpost and a corkboard displayed a few family pictures, all devoid of Leo, their father. Chris had cleared the unmade bed of CDs, MP3s and a basketball with no air in it just to make space to sit down. Falling off of stands were autographed baseballs and pinned to the wall was a calendar showing a variety of topless blondes straddling Harleys for every month of the year._

_Chris was in here, in the midst of it all, hoping to confront his brother about using personal gain magic. Just the other day a ball that had been kicked too wide had made it to the back of the net, scoring Wyatt's team a 'fluke' victory._

_And then there was the time where a mild outbreak of spots had cleared up completely overnight, something Wyatt had put down to the latest spot-wash on the market. Things just didn't add up with Wyatt sometimes, the doctors had said that with his pulled tendon meant that he wouldn't be playing any sports for at least a month, and within a week it was healed and he had scored victory. He had put that one down to whitelighter genes._

_Behind Chris on a shelf above the bed was a shelf jammed full of trophies. Some were sports ones from High School; Wyatt played football, basketball, baseball, soccer and, after much cajoling from his Aunt Phoebe, took Judo classes. Other trophies were from __Magic__School__, signs of how easily Wyatt could win against opponents using his magic._

_On Wyatt's laptop an orange light glowed just below the screen. Chris stared at it, considering for a minute and totally transfixed. He got up off of the bed and crossed the room, running his finger along the touchpad to take the machine out of standby. _

_The screen slowly faded up into view, and as soon as there was a full picture a prompt box asking for a password came up, barring his way in. Chris licked his lips nervously, straining to hear anyone coming up the stairs. There was no one. _

_"Let locks not be locked,_

_Let doors not be closed._

_Let passages be open,_

_So I can go as I'm supposed."_

_Nine black circles appeared in the box, and then the computer was logging in. Chris looked at the door again, seeing and hearing no one. He quickly manoeuvred his way around the screen, searching for anything that would help prove Wyatt's personal gain spells._

_There. A file. He selected and double-clicked. Another box asking for a password. For some reason Wyatt had protected this folder. He repeated his spell under his breath, but in a swirl of blue orbs on the screen a message appeared._

**'Sorry, Chrissy. For my eyes only.' **_Chris thumped the desk in anger. Now _there_ was a security measure he couldn't get past. He sighed, suddenly hearing footsteps. He panicked and hit 'log off' just as the door opened._

_Wyatt came in and tossed his school bag into the corner before seeing Chris. He regained cool composure almost immediately and looked at his brother, an eyebrow raised. "Spying on me, little brother?"_

_"No, I just wanted to talk to you, that's all." Chris said, keeping his face passive and innocent (or so he hoped). He had learned to be a good liar to cover up his magic, and lying to Wyatt was no different than that._

_"What about, Squirt?"_

_"Don't call me that," Chris replied automatically._

_Wyatt shrugged. "Whatever," He shot the basketball he was holding at Chris' head, and his brother absently deflected it, sending it through the hoop Wyatt had mounted on the back of the door. The older Halliwell flopped down onto his bed, sending his blond hair into his face and not looking at all impressed. "So, what's up?"_

_"I… Uh… I wanted to talk to you a-about…" How the hell was he supposed to put this? Wyatt frowned slightly, then his face split into a wicked grin._

_"Oh! Chrissy has a girlfriend! Which one is she?" Wyatt considered, a small frown furrowing his brows. "Jack's little sister Jess, the one with the dark hair, is in your grade, right? She's pretty hot, even for a fourteen-year-old…" He made the basketball fly into his waiting hands, throwing it through the hoop and collecting it magically again._

_"Not exactly…"_

_"So what?"__ He spun the ball on his finger nonchalantly, slapping the ball with just the right timing to keep it balanced and seemingly ignoring Chris. Then his face cracked into another grin and he stopped the basketball, holding it with both hands. "You want a talk?" a wicked grin spread slowly across his face. "I can go get Mom and get her to give you The Talk." He offered tauntingly, knowing the embarrassment it would cause his younger brother. "Or I can get Aunt Paige, her side was interesting." Chris' face had turned a startling shade of scarlet at the thought. "I got mine from both of them. MOM!"_

_"No!" Chris hissed, hoping for the hot flush to go away._

_"MOM?"__ Wyatt made for the door._

_"Wyatt!"_

_"Aunt Paige?" He was half-way out of the door when Chris blurted out what he had come to say._

_"I know you've been using spells for personal gain." _

_Wyatt whirled around and his eyes narrowed threateningly. "What did you say, Squirt?" Chris didn't bother arguing with the name, he'd made Wyatt angry, which was not a smart move. Wyatt tossed the ball hard at Chris' stomach, the younger boy catching and then dropping it before it could hit him. "How is that any of your business?" _

_He advanced, pushing Chris in the chest, and sending him sprawling across the floor. "So that's why you were in here, looking at my stuff for personal gain spells! How dare you. I thought we were brothers, Chrissy."_

_"No! We are! I'm just worried, you know, consequences, and-"_

_"You know what, you worry about your consequences and I'll worry about mine." He waved his arm and sent Chris flying out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Chris landed at the top of the stairs, grabbing the banisters to stop himself from falling._

_"Boys?__ Are you fighting again?" Piper demanded from the kitchen._

_"No Mom!" Chris called back, climbing up painfully and going into his room. Obviously this was going to be harder than he thought._

**********

"Ooh, big deal. You threw me out of a room. It wasn't the first or the last time," Chris said, looking in the direction he guessed Wyatt to be. Behind him he was twisting his hands, trying to break free of his bonds.

"Don't you remember what happened next?"

"Well, yeah…" Chris said, distracted and picking at a knot.

"Then you'll remember how nobody ever used to believe you."

Chris stopped trying to get free. "We've been through this. That's not true and you know it. _I_ know it."

Wyatt shrugged. "Whatever," and gave Chris a bad sense of déjà vu.

"Just go back to the future, Wyatt. It's easier for you to terrorize people there."

"That's what you think," Wyatt reached out, touching Chris' head, making the young Halliwell feel as if he'd been doused in ice-cold water.

********** 

_"Mom, I'm worried about Chris," Piper was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the online _San Francisco Chronicle _via the miniature flat screen that was mounted on one of the cabinet doors. This was an older Piper, a Piper with a few more lines around her eyes and mouth and grey streaks beginning to show in her hair. She pointed a remote at the TV and a new page came up._

_"Why, sweetie?__ What's up?"_

_Wyatt sighed heavily, his blue eyes hooded with concern. Piper's stomach dropped a little. "Baby?_

_"I… I think he's using spells for personal gain,"_

_Piper's eyes darkened and she snapped off the screen. " What?" Wyatt shrugged helplessly, getting up and making his way to the sink so he could peer out the window._

_"I don't know," another helpless sigh.__ " I've been thinking that he's been doing it for a while now… I mean, I don't want to tell tales, but-"_

_"You're not, Honey." He smiled sadly at his mother._

_"But I caught him trying to magically hack into my computer today…"_

_"Seriously?"__ Piper sighed, looking slightly lost. Then her resolve hardened again. "Send him down here."_

_Wyatt nodded, trudging out of the room, but stopped. "Oh, Mom, by the way, is it ok if I go out tonight?"_

_"Sure, but normal rules apply,"_

_He broke out into a grin. "Back by __midnight__, gotcha.__ And don't worry mom." He patted her shoulder. "I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding…" She nodded and Wyatt went upstairs, pausing by Chris' door. "Chris, oh Chris…"_

_"What do you want Wyatt?" His voice was muffled through his closed bedroom door._

_"Nothing, actually.__ Mom wants you." Chris didn't answer but Wyatt was pretty sure that he had orbed out downstairs to the kitchen._

_**********_

"Pain? As in emotional pain?" Phoebe nodded, her head still swimming. "Which one was it coming off of?"

"I don't know, but I don't see why adult Wyatt should be in any emotional pain at all,"

"We've got to get in there," Piper said, running her hands through her hair with worry. "Wyatt's doing something to Chris and I don't like it."

"How? We've tried every way we can think of!"

"Maybe we could call Leo…" Paige suggested quietly. "You know, with infinite Elder wisdom?" There was silence as Piper walked away and looked up at the sky at the first star of the night. "It's getting dark," Paige said, after the long pause, trying to make up for it by changing the subject.

"Making a wish, Honey?" Phoebe said, seeing her sister staring at the star and getting up to put her arm around her. Paige did the same. 

"Making a wish?" Piper gave a sad, wistful snort of laughter. "No. I wish it was all that simple, though."

**********

_"Chris, I want you to tell me the truth," Piper started off, standing up as she her son appeared in the room._

_"Sure, Mom," Chris chirped, although his stomach was doing somersaults. He went to the fridge, pulled out a carton of juice while shoving his glass under the ice cube dispenser. Pulling it away after the glass had filled enough, he began pouring his grape juice._

_"I know being a witch can be hard on you," Piper began quietly, hesitantly. "It can be hard on anyone, but you have this power, Chris and you have to use it responsibly," Chris sat down, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was._

_"Yeah…" he trailed off as his mother pinned him under her concerned and angry gaze._

_"Wyatt tells me that he thinks you've been using spells for your own personal gain. Is that true?" _

_Chris nearly choked on his juice. "_Wyatt_ said that?"_

_"Is it true, Chris?"_

_"No!"_

_His mother sighed, shaking her head. "Lying only makes these things worse, Chris. Lies can grow; you don't keep things covered up for long in this family. It's not healthy, especially not with the magic flying around here…"_

_Chris jumped up, depositing his glass in the sink. "I said no! Don't you believe me?!"_

_"Quite frankly no, Chris.__ Wyatt said he caught you hacking into his computer. Is _that_ true?" _

_Chris turned away toward the curtains, guiltily studying the pattern. Ok, so that was true. But then it had been to find evidence of Wyatt's own misuse of magic, not to get _him_ in trouble…_

_"Well yeah, but…"_

"No buts!" Piper said, clearly frustrated. "These things don't have buts! Can't you see?" She made an exasperated noise and threw her hands in the air.

_"Mom!"___

_"I don't want to talk to you. Misuses of magic for your own personal gain leads to consequences, some of which might rebound on us as a family. Magic is not a toy, Chris! It's not something you can use light-heartedly!"_

_"But-"_

_"No." Chris' face fell. "Go to your room. You admitted hacking into Wyatt's computer. That's bad enough, but more magic for even more selfish reasons?" Piper shook her head. "I'm grounding you for a month, you hear me? No TV, straight home from school, no Internet at _**all** _and if you don't stick to it I will bind your powers, Christopher, God help me, I will do it!"_

_"Mom, it's not me! It's Wyatt, he-"_

"Lies and excuses make it worse, Chris. I've already said that. Now go. And no orbing." Chris took the disappointment in his mother's face like an iron fist around his heart. She didn't believe him! She had believed Wyatt and now she thought that he was irresponsible, and was now feeling let down by him.

He glanced one last time at his mother, but Piper's face was set hard and he had no hope of changing her mind right now. As he reached the second step up Wyatt came thundering down the stairs, a sneer curling his lip when he saw Chris.

_"See you later, Chrissy," His eyes danced in triumph. "BYE MOM!" He went to the front door. Chris heard a car honk, obviously Wyatt's ride for the night. The door closed and Chris continued upstairs, feeling lonely and defeated._

**********

Chris took the head rush associated with coming out of these memories better this time and was soon back with the real world, suddenly feeling that whatever it was that Wyatt was here to achieve, it was slowly working.


	6. Chapter 6

**hot-pepper96: -** Thank you! You're so kind.

**Nautica7mk: - **I'll try my best, but after reading over this a couple of times I don't think it's gonna come across very well…

**Pixie Wildfire: - **You'll have a very interesting conversation with her! Thanks for all that you've done, and all that you're continuing to do. This wouldn't be the way it is without you!

**princesscatie21: -** I know, it's sad. And unfortunately there's gonna be more sad stuff in store for Chris. Thank you!

**Queen of the Elven City: - **Did I ever write that I liked your pen name? if not I do! Lol, thanks for your review, every one means a lot to me.

**Magical Princess: - **Lol, really? I don't like Wyatt, but in this chapter I gave him a break and portrayed him as less evil…

**Taynna: -** *Sucks in deep breath… And begins* I don't think I've seen that particular episode, and if I have I've forgotten it. I agree with you, Wyatt needs to be less antagonistic, so I picked this memory out so that he was. No, I think Piper would blow her top if she caught Wyatt doing that, but then again Wyatt probably isn't dumb enough to get caught. Yeah, the book is in the house. I mean they seem to rely on the book way too much, for every little spell. I mean there's got to be at least one that they remember, but they always use the book. Lol, even I remember the power-switching spell, and I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed…

**M J Rosemary: -** Sorry! But then again I don't think that I've ever given anyone withdrawal symptoms before, so… I'm sorry for taking so damn long, I had a bit of writer's block. I haven't even finished my GCSEs yet and already my teachers are talking to me about A-levels… Ugh… Anyway before I get into a rant about that thanks for your review and let's moves swiftly on!

**X3: - **Lol, thanks for the advice… Now the only problem is to get Chris to hear it… Thanks for your review.

**Karone Evertree: -** Thank you! It's ok, I don't mind. They **do** get into the house, just in a rather different (I hope) way that everyone else was thinking about… Thank you, and wait no more!

**Willows2: - **Thank you!

**Dark Fires: -** *Blush* Thanks. You're really sweet.

**cherry7up56: - **Lol, when you get to the end of this chapter you're one of the people I'll have to add to the list to hide from, huh? There's a kinda cliffy at the end of this. *dives under desk* but please carry on enjoying and reviewing!

**Claddagh Ring: -** I don't mind late reviewers; it brightens up the whole week if I have reviews trickling in a few at a time, rather than a lump together. It is very sad how much I rely on reviews, though… Thanks for loving so many things about this, you're really great.

**Ennaurial: -** Whoa, ok, that's a lot of reviews! My computer broke too, and it stayed broke so we had to get a new one, lol! Thanks for that, it was really nice.

Lol, thanks for carrying on and reading more. It means a lot to me.

Yeah, I think this apart from my other stories. I needed to move on, I think. Keep reading and I'll keep writing! That's the deal I strike up with most of my reviewers, anyway, lol.

Please don't cry too much! Be happy!

I was thinking about giving Leo a small role in this story, but it's pre-Spin City, so… He can have a small part, but I don't want to give him a huge part otherwise he'll find out about Chris, lol… I don't know. You guys in Oz are only like 2 episodes behind us, and we're all catching up with the Americans, because they've stopped filming them because Holly's pregnant and they're not showing the ones they have done because of some ratings war or something... Something about not showing them until May because that's when the stations are monitored for viewers… Something like that… Have fun on holiday and I haven't forgotten my promise, you can beta if ya want.

Thanks so much for all of your encouragement; it really means a lot to me.

The spell I used it from Season 4, and it's the spell that Phoebe used to take herself to Cole. Being bad at writing spells I based this one on one already used, although it's no changed beyond recognition… Hm…

Charmed Leo

**************

Bass thumped through the walls of Piper's office. Piper herself was sitting behind her desk, the lamp throwing a pool of light in a small circle, its radiance barely reaching Paige and Phoebe who were sitting on the floor, baby Wyatt in between them.

"I'm so selfish," Piper began, staring at something on the desktop that didn't exist. Paige and Phoebe looked up. 

"Honey, no! Why?"

"I'm too scared of what Leo might say about…" She stopped, gesturing absently to her stomach. "To actually call him… I'm such a bad mother and my baby isn't even born yet…" Tears welled up in her eyes, making the chocolate pools shimmer in the light.

"Aw…" Phoebe rubbed Piper's back and Paige crouched down next to her sister.

"No, you can't think like that. And anyway, I don't think we're gonna have to call Leo," Phoebe and Piper looked at her.

"Why?"

"I think I have a plan."

**************

"Get over yourself already, Wyatt," Chris said tiredly. "I can't be bothered with you." Wyatt had been fishing for reactions from his younger brother and now Chris was determined not to react at all. He took a clam tone watching the older Halliwell with cool green eyes, the blindfold once again hanging loose around his throat.

The moon was rising, casting its eerie skeletal light over everything. The silver glinted on the fallen glass from the smashed pictures, the shards glistening like raindrops. It left half of Wyatt's face in shadow, the other half glowing with the odd luminescence of a full moon.

His arms were folded across his chest and he was leaning on the doorframe staring thoughtfully at Chris. Chris stared back, trying as subtly as he could to loosen the rope binding his wrists together behind his back.

"I mean what is it that you want, Wyatt? To keep me tied to a chair for all of time?" Again, he didn't receive an answer and despite himself, he squirmed slightly under Wyatt's cold steel-grey gaze. He wiggled a finger and felt a knot slip through itself.

He looked down, not wanting to break the eye-contact with Wyatt but needing to concentrate. His bonds stopped moving and he desperately tried to twist his wrists to find another knot to undo.

"Chris, just give it up and sit tight," Wyatt walked towards him. "Unless you want to see more of our past that is…" Chris closed his eyes – he didn't want to see anything else. "Do you? I've got a memory in mind as well..."

Wyatt's arm shot out, sending a telekinetic blast at Chris' chest. The chair toppled backwards, trapping both of Chris' hands between the chair back and the glass-strewn floor. Slowly he felt blood well up from his hands and a stinging pain. Tiny streams of crimson began to flow across his flesh, trickling in between his fingers and pooling under his palms.

"Don't insult me by thinking I wouldn't notice you trying to escape, Chris," He now towered over his younger brother, smirking down at him as he lay on his back on the floor. Wyatt raised a foot and Chris' body tensed up, waiting for a blow that never came. Instead Wyatt put his foot on his brother's chest, sending another memory blast through him.

**************

"And you still remember the spell?" Paige nodded, now slightly uncertain. "I'm pretty sure, yeah. Phoebe will need to rewrite it, though…"

"Why me?"

"Because you're the best at it," Piper handed the middle sister a pad of paper and a biro with an overly-happy smile. "Get to it!" Phoebe rolled her eyes, writing down the spell that Paige was reciting to her and formulating a way to change it.

**********

_Again we see Chris, lying on his stomach on the bed with his head hanging off of the end and reading a much-crumpled letter. Eight-year-old hands clutched at the grubby edges, eyes scanning the elegant looping lettering._

_He finished, folding it in half along a worn-out fold line and burying his face in his mattress, as always taking deep, steady breaths to stop a flow of tears. When he looked up again there was a slight sparkle to his eye. He folded the letter again, putting it back into its envelope. The envelope went back into a wooden box, which was then locked and put back on his nightstand._

_Leo had always insisted on leaving letters if he was unable to come to a main event in his sons' lives – Chris noted how many more he had received than Wyatt – but rather than being a comfort they often made the situation worse. Leo always gushed his heart through the nib of a pen, making them more than slightly painful to read. _

_As far as Chris knew Wyatt had put his through the paper shredder as soon as he had got them – something that his mother did not encourage, but then again did nothing to stop him either – and sometimes Chris felt as if he should do the same._

_In that box there were letters about how Leo was sure Chris would do well in his latest role in the school play; (never mentioning the actual character, Leo had either forgotten or never bothered to find out) a letter about how big he was getting now he was five; (Chris had actually been six) letters apologizing about missed parent-teacher evenings; a letter saying that Leo would be late to Chris' guitar recital; (he hadn't turned up at all, and, in the style true to his father, there was a letter about that too.) and one letter wishing Chris a fast recovery from the Chickenpox._

_Suddenly Chris felt himself slowly rocking back and forth. There was a crash as a lamp fell from his desk and shattered on the floor. Books tumbled off of the bookcase as it was shaken to and fro, eventually toppling over and the lamp sparked as it was crushed beneath it. He slipped and fell, his head colliding hard with the desk corner. Blood trickled in his eyes._

_Chris rolled under the desk, grabbing two of the legs and closing his eyes, trying to reassure himself that it was an earthquake, it would pass, it was just an earthquake… But things continued to shake and continued to fall around him. The mirror fell off of the wall, sending reflective shards flying at him. He put up a hand and deflected them without meaning to and sent them thudding into a wall, burying them deep in plaster._

_A shelf came loose, swinging by one screw and throwing its contents all over the room. The light fitting shook wildly from side to side, eventually shattering the bulb and sending glass and sparks all over the desktop. A pot of pens fell over, spilling its contents onto Chris. Then just as quickly as it had started it stopped. Chris scrambled out from underneath the desk and ran for the stairs._

_"Mom!" He yelled. _

_"She's not here, get in the doorway," Wyatt instructed, beckoning his younger brother. "There'll be aftershocks."_

_"But she was here…" Chris said, huddling next to Wyatt. "And where's Dad? He was supposed to be here too…"_

_"There was a demon they think was causing this," Wyatt started to explain, but he was cut off by the sudden eruption of sparkling of orbing lights as his mother and aunts appeared._

_"Are you two alright?" Piper asked, kneeling down and hugging them both. She looked to the ceiling. Where's your father?" Both of her sons shrugged. "Leo! LEO!" Yet again orbing lights appeared, this time announcing Leo's arrival._

_"Piper. Blessed be. How are you?" A serene smile was on his lips, and the golden robes flowed around his body._

_"How am I? How am I?" Piper exploded, her fingers twitching to blow something up. "There is a demon-related earthquake and I ask you to watch your sons. Watch. Your. Sons. Not orb up to the Elders and leave a ten -year-old and an eight-year-old ALONE!"_

_"I thought that the Council of the Elders could find something useful. I didn't realize I was gone so long. Is anyone hurt?"_

_"Not yet," Piper said through gritted teeth, refraining from arguing in front of her sons._

_"Well-"_

_"Demon!" Paige yelled, rolling under an energy ball and letting the momentum carry her to her feet again. Piper gestured frantically with her hands, but the demon just staggered backwards, the explosion making a small 'poof' noise on his chest. A staff materialized in the demon's hand and he griped it tightly, raising it above his head._

_"Paige!" Piper yelled._

_"Staff!" It disappeared in a swirl of orbs, which dissipated in midair, returning the staff to the demon. "Uh-oh…"_

_Terremotos **(A/N: - That means earthquake in Spanish and I think Italian. Ya, I know. How original… it just seemed like a really good name…)** struck the tiled floor with it, sending cracks blossoming from where the wood hit. Immediately the Manor began to shake again. Chris covered his face with his arms._

_Wyatt sprang out of the doorway, raising his arm at the demon but falling to the floor from the tremors, narrowly missing having a vase smashed on his head. He started inching backwards from a growing crack that was trying to consume him._

_"Wyatt, protect Chris! He's not as strong as you are!" Leo commanded - the only one left standing and had barely lost his serene Elder look. Wyatt looked back at Chris, who was looking hurt and insulted, and just gave a helpless shrug; it wasn't his fault that Leo had said that. Wyatt crawled back to the doorway, putting up his shield as a display cabinet toppled onto them._

_Wyatt jumped with the shock, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead as he tried to keep the shield up. It began to fluctuate, the cabinet too heavy for it.  Chris shot it away with telekinesis, pinning the demon under it. The demon growled and went down in a mass of splintered wood and shattered crockery. The staff rolled away, coming to rest about four feet from its master._

_The chandelier began a terrible rattle, slowly worming the bolts out of the ceiling before they sheered altogether. It crashed to the floor, striking Phoebe on the shoulder and knocking her out._

_"Phoebe!" Piper blew up a crack in the floor, widening it and making the display cabinet and demon fall through the tiles and into the basement. There was a strangled cry and the earthquake stopped, a plume of black smoke rising from the hole. The staff immediately crumbled to a line of black dust, which then blew away._

_An ominous silence followed before a collective sigh of relief went up. Wyatt lowered his shield and both brothers ran to Piper, hugging her._

_"Leo, Phoebe," Piper said, resorting to as few a words as she could to stop a scathing remark escaping. She kissed Chris' head, then Wyatt's. "Are you two alright?" They both nodded and she hugged them again. "If anything had happened to you…" She stopped, glaring at Leo's back._

_"Nice move with the display cabinet, by the way, Wyatt," the Elder said, the golden glow ceasing as Phoebe woke up. "You wanna come with me and practise that some more?"_

_"Yeah!" Wyatt said enthusiastically, his eyes shining. He looked at Chris, his face falling. "But it wasn't really-"_

_"Modesty is a good thing, Wyatt. But not if you use too much of it."_

_"But Chris…" _

_Leo turned to Chris. "You don't mind, do you?" Wyatt looked at Chris with understanding, but at the same time almost asking his permission to go._

_Chris shook his head, some tears welling up in his eyes. Leo didn't want to take him, all he ever wanted to do was take Wyatt places. "No, you go. Don't worry. Have fun." He managed a tiny smile before his brother and father disappeared, Wyatt shooting Chris a sympathetic look. Leo had not even noticed or bothered to heal Chris' cut head._

**_**********_**

"See, Chris. It's not my fault. You were my brother and I loved you. I protected you. It was just that Leo always favoured me, our parents never seemed to notice you…" He spread his arms wide, a look of remorse etched onto his face. "I'm sorry…"

The memory still stung in Chris' mind, and Wyatt's words weren't helping. He could see that what Wyatt was saying was true, that it wasn't his brother's fault that he was favoured; it wasn't Wyatt's fault that they had a lousy dad… But it still hurt, still hurt that Leo had always chosen Wyatt or Elder duties over him, still hurt that Leo had considered him inferior…

"Thanks for looking after me, Wyatt. In the Quake, I mean…" He mumbled, inspecting his jeans.

"It's ok…" Wyatt righted Chris' chair. "I was always there for you Chris, remember that." Chris nodded slightly, still looking at his jeans. 

Wyatt only smirked.

**************

"Ok, done," Phoebe said, stopping scribbling. "Piper, you've got to be our anchor,"

"Why me?" She protested. 

"Because you're a Mommy and a kid can't be looked after by three sleeping people," Piper put on a slight pout, but then agreed.

"Ok, alright."

"The returning spell is on the way too," Phoebe said, taking a deep breath.

"Are you sure this will work, I mean Chris isn't on-"

"It'll work; I think I wrote around that."

"If you say so…" Paige and Phoebe sat on the floor and began to read off of the pad.

_"Whither our Halliwell,   
  
_

_On our plane he doth dwell._

_Wherever he is, take us to he,   
  
_

_Through barrier, shield and the powers that be."  
  
_

"Doth? You used doth?" Paige said in disbelief, having just enough time to see her sister give a helpless shrug before slumping sideways asleep.

**********

Phoebe and Paige appeared in the foyer and started to look around. The manor was ominously silent, the ticking of the grandfather clock reverberated around the high entryway and moonlight pooled in liquid silver puddles on the tiles and furniture.

"Where is everyone?" Phoebe whispered.

"I can't hear a thing," Paige said back, equally as quiet.

"Witches!"

"Oh, ok, now I can!" Phoebe spun on her left foot and drove her right heel into the demon's stomach. He crumpled.

"Remind me to never piss you off," More demons appeared in the entryway, throwing Paige into the hall table. She looked at the wreckage that surrounded her. "Piper's gonna kill you! Table leg!" Nothing happened.

"No powers when you astral project, honey." Phoebe said, jumping and kicking two demons at the same time.

"It's my first time, ok?" She picked up the table leg the mortal way and rammed it through a demon's heart. He exploded, taking her weapon with him.

"I've never seen this kind of demon before…" Phoebe remarked, snapping a kick to a demon's jaw that broke its snout. He gave a howl of rage, fully transforming into Jackal mode. He dropped to all fours, snarling and growling, yellow eyes bulging and filled with rage.

"Oh, oh!" Phoebe said, backing away with shock.

"Leave." The voice was cold, and at once the demons disappeared without any argument. Wyatt was leaning against the doorframe and clapped his hands three times. The noise echoed around before stopping. "Well done, a truly great performance."

"Where's Chris?"

"How did you get in here?" He said, ignoring the question.

"I asked you where Chris was." Wyatt stepped aside, revealing their younger nephew bound and blindfolded. Phoebe and Paige ran at him, Phoebe grabbing the banister and using it as leverage to kick Wyatt in the chest and Paige continuing past Wyatt. Wyatt staggered before falling to the floor. Paige ran into the sunroom, dropping to her knees and skidding behind Chris.

"Wyatt?"

"No, it's me."

"Paige? How… How did you?"

"Long story. Let's just get you out of here."

Chris sighed. "Why bother?"

"What?"

"Wyatt was the only one who ever looked out for me. Leo just thought I was inferior and you were all too busy to care. What's the point?"

"Chris, the point is that we don't keep you tied to a chair. We… we…" There was a loud crash and the sound of splintering wood. Phoebe was not winning the fight in the foyer. Paige suddenly realised that she had no way of getting her nephew out of her. But she didn't need to tell Chris that.

**************

"What's the matter, Aunt Phoebe? Not up to channelling my powers today?" Phoebe spat out blood from her mouth and got to her feet.

"I don't need powers to whoop your ass," She balled her fists under her chin, spun and kicked Wyatt in the face. He staggered, clutching a bleeding nose. He waved an arm angrily, slamming her into the ceiling and then letting her drop to the floor. She screamed but before she hit he threw her through the glass front of the Manor's doors. As she flew she disappeared in a blur of red, leaving coloured shards tinkling to the steps outside.

"Astral projection… Hm…" Wyatt said, sounding mildly impressed. He summoned two demons. "One of them is still astral projecting. Sleeping like a baby and totally defenceless. Try not to hurt them too bad." The two demons disappeared as quickly as they had been summoned.

Paige's eyes widened as she tried to persuade Chris to move again, realizing that Wyatt was coming closer. "Chris, please. I don't know what Wyatt's been doing to you, but I know that you can fight it. We love you." Chris suddenly blinked and bent forward, starting to unpick his feet. "Yes!" Paige cried.

"Aunt Paige?" Wyatt stepped into the room, fixing Paige with his glare.

"Don't make me orb some glass into your eye." She said, standing up. 

"Astral projections have powers now? Not the last time I heard. Chris, sit back down," He forced Chris back onto the chair with his magic, and then sent his aunt crashing through a window. She landed in a crumpled heap before disappearing in the same blur of red that had taken Phoebe.

Chris's arm shot out, but Wyatt put up his hand. The palm glowed blue, sending the attack straight back at Chris. Chris was catapulted backwards, smashing into a wall.

"I think Aunt Paige was starting to undo what we had going. What do you think?" He grabbed a fistful of Chris' hair, smiling as another memory rush overtook his brother.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: - **I say I don't own, you say that you won't sue and we all live happily ever after until you find some poor unsuspecting person who forgot their disclaimer and dump a law suit on them. Because you're evil! Let that be a warning to y'all out there in ff.net land.

**Pixie Wildfire: -** It's ok, it won't be too bad! I always get the feeling that you know exactly what's going to happen before the chapter comes up on ff.net… Hm… I wonder how that happens? ^_~

**buffspike: -** I'm glad you read it and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

**cherry7up56: -** Thanks for always coming back! It means a lot to me. Ok, I will hide then… Where? *Dives under desk* There… Now I feel safe…

**MerlinHalliwell: - **Yes, Leo will help. Wyatt intends to make Chris very brainwashed. Thanks for your review.

**Queen of the Elven City: -** Lol, ok. I guess I'll stop going on about it now. Thanks for reviewing!

**X3: -** I will, don't worry. Thanks for reviewing.

**princesscatie21: -** I'm sorry about the wait for an update. Yes, Wyatt does suck and he EVIL… Ya, anyways thanks for reviewing.

**Dark Fires: -** Sorry for not updating with much speed… Sorry about the cliff-hanger, it's just that I like to end things on cliff hangers… Not 100 % sure why… Thanks for your compliments.

**Ginger: -** Uh-oh, sorry for the distinct lack of updating… Thanks for your compliments.

**Piper15: -** Whoa! Ok, that's a long review. I hate tests and projects, they all suck. Spring vacation rules and I am currently on it now. Thanks so much! I know, it seemed odd writing it, but I think that Chris kinda had a sucky future, so maybe that's how life was for him. It's sad to think it, huh? I took Leo's 'Blessed Be' from some spoilers where he says that to her, and it seemed appropriate, kinda like he was detached from the real world from being Up There too long. 

I speak most European languages (my parents made me learn, ugh…) but I can only really speak French and English fluently. I'm pretty good at Spanish and German, but most of the others I can only speak enough to get by, so I used that very limited knowledge to dredge up that name. I like the name too; it seemed suitably evil for him. Yeah, I'm trying to make Wyatt get it across to Chris that Wyatt always liked him whilst Piper and Leo didn't… It's to do with the whole later plot… The demons did what they were told, attacking a defenceless witch. ^_~

And the title isn't mine at all, it's Pixie Wildfire's she great. A biro? Ok, being from the UK I knew things were slightly different language-wise, but I never thought about biro… I should have put that in. A biro is a pen, made by the company Bic?  A Bic Biro? Basically it's a pen, but it's always been a biro or a Bic, because there are lots of different types of pen, like a roller ball or a fountain pen of a biro, so yeah… A biro is very cheap, costing around 22 pence (about 40 cents) so yeah… Anyways before I get too hung up on that… I'm sorry for my lack of updating speed, but it's here now!

Yeah, you wrote a lot, but then I just kept writing and writing in reply, so I think we're even now… Thanks for your review and taking time to do all that work for me!

**Karone Evertree: -** Yes, for a little while. ^_~ Thanks for your review and I know Wyatt's evil. But that's that and there's not much anyone can do… Yet… ^_~

**M J Rosemary: -** Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to take so long! I seem to be paying a lot of hospital bills lately, with my cliff hangers and not updating quick enough… Hm…

**darla101: -** Wow, thank you so much. Your review really made me feel great as a writer.

**darkdestiney2000: -** I know! Sorry, but I felt like writing an angst fic… If you thought that was sad though you might find this chapter even sadder… Sadder? I didn't even know that was a word… Thanks Grammar check!

**Magicgrrl: - **Ok, another huge review… I must be doing something right… Are you sure that your mental health isn't already gone? So if I continue will it make much difference? *wonders* Yes, I saw that episode and it was before I'd discovered spoilers so I thought they were actually going to kill him… That would have ruined my fic, huh? The world? Well luckily it didn't blow up because I didn't update very soon at all… Yeah, I know Leo's being evil. I hope he feels bloody guilty as well. Ranting is good, I don't know anyone in real life who likes Charmed… Well ok a few people but they're not as good as all of my Net buddies! Spongy! Wheeeeeee! I like spongy… Did the men in white coats use Persil? For whiter than white whites? I hope so, then they can sparkle like in all of the adverts…

**Alcandre: - **Lol, still with the issues, huh? I know he's a cute baby it makes me wonder how the hell he's evil in the first place. Thanks for saying you'll keep reading, I'll hold you to that!

**Claddagh Ring: -** I like cliff hangers too… Just not when people (like me) spend far too long updating after one. Oops, sorry about that.. Really? Thanks so much, I really liked your review. I try my best to take in everyone's ideas and criticisms (as long as they're not flames – then I don't even bother looking twice) and use them to make my work better. That's what reviews are for, to help me get better. Thanks a lot, I hope the same can be said about this chapter.

**Nautica7mk: -** Yeah, I know… Unfortuantely it's about to get worse…

**Hot-pepper96: -** Thanks so much!

**denna5: -** I know it's sad, but this is my first real go at writing angst and I'm glad to see that people think that it's turning out so well…

**Starlite919: -** No problem, I love giving reviews… Almost as much as I like getting them lol. Sorry for the wait…

**Faith: -** I know it is, and that's what I was aiming for, so thanks for getting it. Sorry for not updating.

**Ok, at least one majorly sad piece coming up in this chapter and the ones after. Don't say I didn't warn you, my betas said that it made them feel like crying… You have been warned.**

Thanks for all of your reviews and support, they all mean so much to me.

Charmed Leo

**********

Paige awoke with a start to find herself encased in Wyatt's protective blue bubble. The toddler was looking around confused as Piper and Phoebe fought off two demons. Piper ducked behind her chair, screaming in anger as it was blown to pieces, sending blackened stuffing and melted plastic into the air.

She jumped around the ruined chair and flicked her hands at the demon attacking her. The jackal rolled, sending himself hurtling into another plane and reappearing behind Piper. The oldest witch shrieked and turned too late, claws raking millimetres from her eyes.

"Letter opener!" Paige cried, still behind the shield. She sent it orbing into a bulbous yellow eye, causing the jackal to snarl with pain. He clawed at his ruined eye, eventually pulling out the blunt knife and turning it on Piper. She blew him up and the blade hit the carpet with a thud. 

Phoebe was sparring with the other demon, matching every punch that he threw with a block, every kick with a duck. But the demon was faster, taller and heavier than she, and even though she was blocking she had no time to attack.

"Wyatt, honey, let Aunt Paige out…" Her nephew just blinked at her. "See the demon? See the nasty demon? Aunt Paige has to kill it…" Wyatt looked at the demon, then back at his aunt. To Paige's horror Wyatt orbed away. "No!" She hissed, the shield disappearing. Behind the demon orbing lights crept into view.

Phoebe jumped into the air, levitating and kicking the demon. The jackal raised a forearm, blocking the kick but staggering backwards.

"Wyatt!" Piper and Paige yelled, watching the demon trip over the toddler. Wyatt put his shield up, and the demon fell back onto it, bent backward and allowing Phoebe to whip out one of the chopsticks she was using as a hair ornament and ram it through the jackal's throat. The jackal gurgled and died, disappearing into a fiery vanquish.

"That was a new one…" Paige commented as her sister slid the accessory back into her hair.

"No one suspects the pointy chopstick," Piper agreed as Phoebe finished fixing her hair. "How did it go at the Manor?" She crossed the room and picked up her son, shifting him to her hip.

"You called us away, you tell me!" Paige said, slightly cross.

"You looked like you were in trouble!" Piper protested.

"Yeah, well… It made Wyatt realize that we were just astral projections…"

"Oh… So is going back in that way out of the question?"

"No, not really, because he won't block entries from other planes, because that's how his demons get in. He'll just be waiting this time…"

"What about an astral distraction then? One of us goes in, distracts Wyatt, while the other two get into the house and-"

"The house shocks us, Paige."

"Well yeah, but that's because there's always something in the way. The doors shocked us, the windows and any other way of keeping people out. But what if there was a place where there was no door, no window? Would the ward extend over them?"

"So what you're saying is as long as there's a point of entry where there's no door or window covering it, it should be ok to get in?" Phoebe said slowly, running it through her head. Paige just shrugged.

"It's reaching, Paige. And it's not as if there's gonna be a giant hole in the-" Piper stopped, looking suddenly worried. "There's not a giant hole anywhere… Is there?"

"Well…" Paige and Phoebe looked at each other; their astral forms had shattered a window each.

"You know what? I don't wanna know. Let's call Darryl, drop Wyatt off and then go and do this thing, ok?"

"Ok." The sisters disappeared in a swirl of orbs.

**********

Wyatt thought that it was time to turn up the power. Give Chris a few more memories, in a shorter space of time. He had grown up with his Mom and aunts – at least up until they were killed – and knew that they wouldn't give up. They would be coming again soon, this time maybe in their real bodies, with their real powers. Phoebe's martial arts had been impressive, but not as impressive and the three real witches could be.

Chris was breathing heavily, his face contorted with pain. Wyatt couldn't distinguish between the beads of sweat rolling down his brother's face and tears. His younger brother's eyes were closed tight, trying to block out the images that were being displayed in his head. Wyatt concentrated, allowing himself to be drawn in and see what it was that he was showing Chris.

**********

_Chris hit the floor, dropping his binder and scattering papers everywhere. He sighed and began to pick them up, stuffing them back inside the folder. He reached out for another paper and someone stepped on his hand._

_"Hey!" Chris expected someone to remove the sneaker from on top of his hand. Is didn't move. His eyes travelled up a jean-clad leg to the face of a sneering senior, someone from Wyatt's football team.  _

_"Hey Halliwell.__ What's up?"_

_"I _was_ picking my stuff up…" Chris muttered, wrenching his hand free and standing up. He looked around the hall, which was eerily deserted, save three of Bade's fellow ignorant jocks. He wasn't in class but then he had been delivering a note to the office, something his history teacher had picked on him to do._

_The senior, Bade, knocked the binder in Chris' hands, sending it crashing to the floor again. Chris was tempted to collect it all telekinetically, but knew that exposing magic would be a disaster._

_"What do you want?" Chris asked wearily, looking the taller teenager in the eyes. He was now seventeen, but Bade was still taller by at least half a foot._

_"I've just found out something interesting about your family, something that you can do…" Panic started to build, but Chris kept his face composed._

_"And what's that?"_

_"Witch," Bade said, smirking at Chris._

_Chris snorted and pulled a face. "You mean pointy hats and black cats? Yeah, sure, Bade… You do realize that it's May and Halloween isn't for another what, five months?"_

_Inside, he was terrified about the exposure, but outside he knew he had to keep a cool calmness about him. If he made the slightest wrong move, he would be proved a witch. And he had no one to turn to now. His family were all dead; all that was left was Wyatt… And he didn't really want to talk to him about any of this…_

_"Black hats? Cats? What about disappearing and making things fly, huh, Chris?" Bade pushed him, but Chris only staggered and didn't fall._

_He glared defiantly at Bade. "If you're done making up fantasies, than I have a class to get to," He said, bending down and stuffing all of his paper back into the binder and pushing past Bade, walking off down the hall._

_"Wyatt said you'd deny it." Chris froze in his tracks._

_"Wyatt said what?" He asked, fighting hard to keep the alarm out of his voice._

_"That you'd deny it.__ That you had some crazy idea that it all needed to be this big secret - that it's something all for yourself that wasn't made to help out normal people with…"_

_"That's…" He stopped himself. "You know what? Wyatt's playing a joke on you, ok? He's being a dumb brother and a major pain in the ass. Get over it. He's probably laughing at you right now…"_

_"Wyatt showed me what he could do. It was really cool. He said it's in his whole family, so that means you."_

_"You've been whacked in the head too many times." Chris bit out tersely. "Been playing football without padding again? Wyatt probably had invisible string or something…"_

_"And how did that help him disappear?"_

_Chris couldn't answer that. From the way that Bade was describing it Wyatt had exposed his magic to his teammates, and not only that but he had exposed Chris too… By the sounds of it on purpose. Bade was asking him something, pulling him from his thoughts._

_"So what can you do, Halliwell? Whip up a love potion for me?"_

_"I can't do magic," Chris said, trying to sound tired._

_"Wyatt said you could."_

_"Well Wyatt is wrong, ok!" Chris exploded. "If you think he can do magic, fine. Go ask him for a stupid potion..." He turned and walked off down the corridor._

_Suddenly he was being tackled to the ground and then slammed up against the row of lockers on his left, a forearm being forced under his chin. His breath hitched as he felt his windpipe being constricted._

_"Watch what you say. You're a freak, Halliwell, a mutant freak. And we all know it so just admit to it and do what I ask." Chris spat in Bade's eye and the senior let him go, swiping it away in disgust. Chris walked off down the corridor, collecting his stuff as he went._

_"We'll kill you!" Another football player yelled, his voice making Chris wince as it echoed down the corridor._

**********

"Mutant freak. That's what everyone thought you were, Chris. A second born, second best, mutant freak,"

Chris stared Wyatt down, his green eyes frosty. "You made them do that. That was the start of your whole scheme about showing the world magic. It had nothing to do with me."

"Hi, nephews!" A chipper voice said, coming from the doorway. "How's it all going?" 

They both turned to the new voice. "Aunt Phoebe," Wyatt greeted coldly. "So is this the real you? Or another astral projection?" 

Phoebe shrugged. "How about you come and find out?" She beckoned to him and he walked over to her, leaving Chris alone.

**********

"Damn it!" Paige's theory appeared to be incorrect - just because there was no glass in the pane apparently didn't mean that there was not a shield there. Paige was pacing, a frown marring her features.

"Reversal spell… What was it?"

"Which one?"

"Phoebe used it to get rid of my boobs…"

"Excuse me?"

"You were a Fury or a Siren or some magical beast…"

"Oh…"

_"Guided spirits,  
  
_

_Hear my plea.   
  
_

_Annul this magic.   
  
_

_Let it be." _Paige picked up a rock and threw it at the window; it bounced back, smoking, to fall at Paige's feet. "Damn it!" She yelled, kicking it in frustration. She continued pacing again, running ideas through her head that all collided with dead ends.

"You know maybe… maybe Leo could help…" Piper murmured, looking down into her lap and twisting her fingers, weaving them like basketry.

"You sure, sweetie?" Piper paused before nodding slightly.

"As I'll ever be…" Paige took Piper's hand for support and together they called for the Elder. He orbed into view, and was about to turn towards them when he froze.

"Piper! You… you froze our only way in!" Paige said, gesturing to her immobile ex-brother-in-law.

"I can't do it! I can't show him my stomach, I mean what if he…"

_"Let the object of objection become but a dream,_

_As I cause the seen to be unseen," _Paige recited, watching as little white lights engulfed Piper's stomach and made her pregnancy disappear at once.

"You vanished Chris!" Piper shrieked, poking at her stomach.

"Well, yeah… But we can get him back…" She pointed through the sunroom window. "Look, big Chris is still visible, magic can't get in there so he's not affected."

Piper made a suspicious noise and started looking at her new, flat stomach. Was Chris still in there? Had Paige just vanished the bump or the whole baby? If she had vanished the whole baby then where was Chris? What happened to vanished things? Did they go into a kind of magical storage place?

She felt a little nudge and was relieved to realize that Chris was kicking. He was still there, it was just that there was no evidence of him outwardly. She gave a small sigh of contentment and unfroze the Elder in front of them.

"Piper, Blessed Be. What is it?" He sounded so serene, so calm as he stood there in full Elder garb.

"Ok, long story short, your other son-" Paige began.

"My what?"

"Oh…" She winced, feeling Piper's glare slice through her.

"You know what; I'll let Piper tell you that tale…" She sat down on the low garden wall, suddenly very interested in an ant out for a night time wander.

"My _other_ son?"

"Oh, ignore her," Piper said dismissively. "She meant Wyatt-"

"Wyatt? Where is he? What's the matter with him?" His cool Elder composure dropped and panic filled his eyes.

"Not that Wyatt…" Leo's panic quickly turned into confusion.

"Huh?"

"Well you know Chris came back from the future?" Leo nodded. "And you know that on my birthday he let slip that Wyatt was turned evil, and we found out that he was a tyrant?" She paused but this time didn't wait for Leo to nod. "Well Wyatt found a spell, made a spell, whatever - and came back to get Chris."

"Why?"

"Chris is obviously having too great an affect on the timeline," Paige put in. "He's had us vanquishing all sorts of demons and it's got to be taking effect in the future. Maybe Wyatt thinks that one too many of his henchmen have cone _poof_ or something…

"So he's come back…" Leo said slowly, glancing through the windows for the first time and seeing Chris. "And he wants to kill Chris? Turn him? Take him back to the future? What?" Paige and Piper just shrugged. They didn't know.

"We don't know. We just need you to get us into the Manor so we can get him out…"

"Where is he?" Leo asked, referring to Wyatt. Piper stepped to one side to reveal Phoebe slumped awkwardly on a garden chair. "Phoebe's creating an astral distraction,"

"Her powers advanced?"

"No, it's a spell. Like the one she used to go to Cole in the Wasteland."

"Ok… Well I take it that you can't orb in there, right? And you would have tried breaking in already…" Paige stole a quick glance at the small sea of flowers built up by the door, now slightly brown around the edges. "So what else is there to do?" He went quiet, a frown contorting his features downwards. Suddenly he looked up. "I've got it!"

"Are you going to share?" Piper asked, irritable and impatient.

"What if we can get adult Wyatt to let down the barrier?"

"Leo, that's not gonna work… He won't do it. The idea of the barrier is to keep us out, and he's not going to readily let it down so we can get in…"

"No, listen, maybe he will. If we play on the part of him where he likes taunting people then maybe he'll do it. Plead with him to let us in, and my guess is that he'll open up a gap and then close it… Hopefully that would be in his nature…"

"It might work…" Behind her Phoebe gasped and woke up, shaking out a crick in her neck.

"He's coming back," she informed them, just as Wyatt appeared in the sunroom. Piper and Paige looked at each other and then went to put Leo's plan into action.

"Wyatt!" Paige yelled, careful not to get too near and get shocked. "Let us in, please. We just want to talk…"

"Come on, honey. We only want to see you, let us help…"

Wyatt looked back at Chris and saw the tiniest amount of hope appear in his brother's eyes. He smirked, thinking it over. "You want them to bust in, don't you Chris? Come in and rescue you?" Chris said nothing but Wyatt knew that was what he wanted.

"Wyatt, let us through. We won't hurt you…" Wyatt held out a hand, making a small portal near the door. Paige and Piper crossed to it, and Wyatt could feel without looking the desire within Chris for the sisters to get in and for everything to go back to normal. 

Piper tentatively reached out for the door handle, only for Wyatt to lower his hand and have the shield spring back up. Piper got a shock that sent her staggering backwards whilst Chris cried out in pain. Wyatt smirked, realizing that baby Chris was affecting the adult sitting in the corner.

"Wyatt!" Paige chided, helping her sister up. "What are you doing!?"

"I slipped, Aunt Paige," he said innocently, although his face showed he had done nothing of the sort. "Come through, then," He made the move with his hand again, opening up another hole in the barrier. This time Leo was standing there, arm out, palm thrust towards the door.

"Go!" He muttered, sounding strained. Paige, Piper and Phoebe stepped forwards, and Piper pulled the door open. Wyatt made the move with his hand to close the gap again, but it didn't close and the Charmed Ones carried on through. Finally Leo stumbled through after them, breathing heavily as the shield sprang closed.

"Wow, Dad. Didn't know you had it in you," Wyatt said calmly, watching three demons appear beside him.

Phoebe looked at Chris, then at Wyatt, and felt her knees buckle. She fell to the floor, the sunroom blurring around her as she was overwhelmed. There was so much pain radiating from Chris, and anger and hatred towards his brother.

And from Wyatt… He seemed devoid of most human emotions, a sort of black hole filled with cruelty, malice and the desire to hurt. And power, he hungered greatly for power. She thought she had some arms supporting her but she wasn't sure, forcing the room back into focus as she let the waves of emotions pass through her. Slowly she tried to will herself back up, breathing heavily and trying to seem unaffected.

Wyatt looked amused as he watched Phoebe struggled to stand, tears surging down her face as she was forced to confront it all. She stood finally, leaning on her sisters for support as the demons advanced on them.

Phoebe let out a scream, a mixture of the pain; hatred and rage that she felt inside her and a few explosions and a large fireball later the demons were smouldering scorch marks on the floor. Wyatt looked mildly shocked before summoning more demons to his side. Phoebe started dealing with them much in the same way, using explosions and weapons of a kind of dark fire generated from the highly emotionally charged room. Piper, Paige and Leo ran to Chris' side, only to be blocked by Wyatt.

"Don't try it…" He took hold of Chris's upper arm, dragging him from the floor. Chris' eyes glazed over, reliving another memory.

**********

_"Mom!"__ Chris yelled, fear etched into his face, eyes wide. His breath came in quickened gasps, worry tearing at the strings of his heart. She stood there, the last of the Charmed witches, so bold and defiant. She faced her foe with her back straight, brown eyes hard and cold. _

_"Stay down, Chris," She replied, not turning to him but keeping her eyes on the demon in front of her._

_He wanted to orb, to take her away to safety, but of course he couldn't. A victim of Wyatt's cruel joke he could only watch as Piper fought and stay hidden under the dining room table.  _

_Wyatt lay behind the demon, cuts marring his face and arms and a smouldering burn weeping a yellowy discharge on his chest. Around him the TV lay in a smoking ruin, the table beneath it splintered._

_"Wake up, Wyatt!" He pleaded quietly, willing his brother back to consciousness. Wyatt stayed motionless._

_The demon threw a fireball but Piper matched it, blowing it to pieces in an outward burst of flame. She raised her eyebrows at the demon but said nothing. Behind her back she held the corked vial, already knowing that it wouldn't be enough. Knowing that throwing it would be useless, but it was all she had to protect her sons. She knew that she needed her sisters to kill the beast in front of her, and they were both dead. Murdered…  _

_She threw the vial._

_It spun, urged on by hatred and grief. A lone ray of sunlight filtered through dark clouds outside and fractured inside the glass. It began a graceful arc, the descent reflected in Chris' eyes. The vial impacted, shattering in a blaze of shards. _

_The demon staggered and Piper threw out her hands and the very air seemed to sing, molecules separating and tearing as the power streamed towards her enemy. _

_Their enemy._

_The world's enemy.__ The power hit the demon, throwing him backwards, and sending him skidding across the floor to land against the wall._

_"The best you have, witch?" He inquired, standing up, thick fingers probing the burn on his shoulder, his face twisting into a grin when he realized that all he had received was a flesh wound._

_"No, my best is to come," Her eyes stayed steely, but fear welled up in her breast. She had no way of vanquishing him, no way of saving herself and her sons. Her calls to her husband were falling upon deaf ears and she was the only one left…_

_She stood in the foyer, the one beam of light hitting her hair and shimmering around in its dark depths, giving her an ethereal look as she faced the demon once more. Her chin held high she stared the demon down, seeing nothing but malevolent hatred in his black stare._

_Chris thought that he heard Wyatt stir and it seemed that he was facing a different way to what he had been moments before. Piper noticed too, her mothering instincts making her flick her eyes to her fallen son._

_An energy ball appeared, a mass of thrumming blue power in the demon's palm. With Piper's mind split between the fight and her two sons she never noticed the demon take aim. She never noticed it pulsating, searing a path through the air._

_"Mom!"__ Chris yelled, and the shout seemed to echo for an eternity. Piper turned, raising her arms to blast the ball._

_The power never left her outstretched hands._

_It hit her full on in the chest, and time seemed to slow. The scene blurred into one terrible moment for Chris, Piper's back bending, limp arms and legs trailing as she was hurled through the air. She hit the wooden floor, skidding towards Chris and the force rolling her over, russet eyes gazing at her youngest son. A frail and shuddering hand reached out and Chris gripped it with his own, hanging onto the faint pulse he could feel beating under the skin._

_"Wyatt?"_

_"It's Chris. I'm Chris. Dad! DAD!" No orbing lights appeared, Leo wasn't even coming. He looked back at his mother, her breathing coming in ragged gasps now, her eyes going glassy._

_"I love you, Wyatt," She whispered, no louder than falling autumn leaves._

_"It's Chris," He insisted, biting his lip. "I called for Dad, he's coming… Hold on, Dad's coming… He'll come, he has to…" He was rocking slowly back and forth, clutching at his mother's wrist and feeling her body going cold._

_The demon took three steps towards them and Chris waved an arm frantically only to have nothing happen. Wyatt's magic still existed; the binding potion was still in force… Desperately he tried again, failing to use any of his powers._

_"Wyatt!" Chris yelled, hoping to rouse his brother. Piper's grip was becoming limp as he held on, trying to cling to her, and trying to get her to cling to life… He drew another breath into his lungs to call out for his brother and Piper's torso hitched. As he released the air in a shout Piper released hers. Her last breath shuddered from her lungs and left her still. Her lips parted and she went limp, her head lolling to one side._

_Chris scrabbled at her neck for a pulse and found none. A single tear escaped down his cheek and he gritted his teeth, reaching out and closing Piper's eyes. He stood up, facing the demon with sorrow and grief emanating from him, swirling together to turn into dark into anger and hatred._

_He forgot that he was a normal teenager now, a fourteen-year-old without powers and that the demon standing there had all sorts of power at his command; ready to bend to his will. He picked up a vase and gave an angry scream, hurling it at the demon in a rage. _

_Tears poured from his face and outside a roll of thunder rumbled around the Manor. The vase hit the demon, shattering on his chest. He looked at Chris with amusement and then used his powers to throw the teen over his shoulder. _

_Chris landed on the coffee table, going through the plate glass top. He thudded to the carpet, shielding is face from a cascade of falling glass, now cracked and white. He felt the shards bite into his flesh, tearing it and drawing blood. He didn't notice, nor would he have cared if he had._

_"Wyatt, wake up!" Chris moaned, rolling over. "Mom's hurt, Wyatt! Now wake up, damn it!" He put his head in his hands, grasping his dark hair. "Mom's hurt…" He said quieter, sniffling as tears soaked into his sleeves._

_The demon came closer, making a fist and picking Chris up by the throat using telekinesis. Chris gagged, clawing at the invisible force that was crushing his windpipe and squeezing life from his lungs. In the corner of his eye he thought he saw a swirl of blue orbs, but at the edges of his vision all he could see was black, so he wasn't sure… _

_He heard an anguished cry and then it stopped. He dropped to the floor, climbing to his hands and knees, drawing in deep rattling breaths and looking up. Where the demon had once stood Wyatt now was, the ashes of a crushed heart in his hand. He let them fall to the floor, each charred grain blowing away and disappearing into nothing._

_"Bastard!"__ Wyatt yelled, his eyes flashing dangerously. Chris could tell that Wyatt knew about their Mom, knew that Piper was…_

_Again a thunderclap echoed around outside, rolling over the house in great waves. A streak of lightening seared across the sky, splitting the storm clouds and tearing through the grey. Wyatt ran to Piper's side and grabbed her hand. His eyes turned from blue to a cold wintry grey._

_"Is she…?" Chris couldn't bring himself to ask couldn't bring himself to say it… But Wyatt's face was the only answer that he needed. "She's dead, Wyatt!" Chris said, getting up to walk over to them. "She's dead…" He shook his head._

_A river of tears coursed down the youngest Halliwell's face. He put the heels of his hands onto his forehead, kneading the flesh there. Wyatt stood up, his anger radiating over Chris in stomach-turning waves. Not a tear escaped, he got up and walked over to Chris._

_"I know she's dead. It's over… It's all over…" He turned on his heel, taking a few steps away from his brother. "It's all over…" He repeated again, shaking his head. "And you know why?" He spat savagely, spinning to face Chris and giving him a glare that he would never forget. "It's all because of you." Suddenly an energy ball formed in his palm. Chris froze, confused about how it had got there. Wyatt threw it the way he might a baseball and it blew Chris backwards._

_He hit the wall hard. Wyatt smirked, taking time to walk over to Chris. "Do you know what you did? You killed her… She's dead because of you! You were distracting her, and then when she go hurt you couldn't even heal her! You never learned to heal because you're USELESS!"_

_"You bound my powers!" Chris screamed. "You thought it was a joke and would be funny, but it wasn't. I couldn't help her… I couldn't do anything…" Fresh sobs rose in his throat._

_"Don't blame this on me, Chris," Wyatt said, allowing his magic to fade and giving Chris back his powers. "It's all your fault." He orbed away, leaving Chris alone._

_Chris led there in shock, then suddenly leaping to his feet and breaking into a run. He wrenched open the front door and fled down the steps. His legs were wobbly and he felt sick, but on he kept going. Kept running into unknown. He had to put distance in between himself and the Manor, he had to…_

_Sweat began to pour down his sides and he felt sticky in the before-the-storm heat. The perspiration matted his hair to his forehead and ran down his face, mingling with tears and dripping off of his nose and chin._

_The air was heavy and his lungs worked hard until eventually they were fit to burst. He collapsed, realizing that he had run to the lake – a favourite picnic spot for Piper and her family in Golden Gate Park – and sobbed again, hurling rocks into the still water with his magic and not caring who saw._

_She was dead; he had watched her die and hadn't done anything… His mother was dead, his brother was turning evil and he had nowhere to go… Grief surged through his veins, overpowering him. He screamed in pain, guilt overcoming him. He slumped sideways._

_Another roll of thunder, another streak of lightning.__ He looked up, eyes unseeing, dirt and dried leaves sticking to the wet tears and sweat on his face. His clothes were torn and his t-shirt was lifted up, allowing a breeze to send shivers up his sweat-coated back. He was covered in scratches, but he didn't care. _

_His mother, his wonderful, beautiful mother… Chris felt his word shatter, tumbling in pieces around him._

_Slowly, fat raindrops began to fall, shattering the summer heat to pieces._

**********

"What did you do to him?!" Piper cried, grabbing Wyatt's arm and turning him away from his brother.

"You'll see, mother. You'll see."

**********

**Ok, was that a long chapter or what? It went into 12 pages! I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for all of your reviews so far! I don't know how long this story will go on for, but I expect there will be another 5 chapters or so… Maybe… I don't know, we shall have to see.**

**Charmed Leo**


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCALIMER: Basically I own it all! IT'S ALL MINE! Well... No… Not really… I own some socks, and many of those are lonely because the dryer ate their partner. *thwacks the sock-eating electricity-guzzling dryer with an encyclopaedia* but I don't own Charmed. Ok? Ok. Good. I'm gonna shut up now. Bye. Yeah. Ok. That's great. Ok, I know. Shut up. Ok. I will. Bye… again.**

**The quotes by the priestess in this chapter are from Prue's funeral. Having a memory like a sieve I failed to remember any of it, so I googled it and came up with where there's a list of all the Season 4 scripts.**

**Pixie Wildfire: - Don't cry! Aw! *hug* Glad you liked, have a tissue.**

**xx*an*insomniacs*nightmare*xx: - Don't cry too much! Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Dark Fires: - I try not to do cliff hangers, it's just that I tend not to stop otherwise, and then I have to look back and find a good point to stop and the best points often seem to be cliff hangers… Thanks for your nice review, I really appreciate it.**

**Carla: -** **Thanks so much, I really try my best. Thanks for reviewing.**

**Pheniox-skye: - Ok, Ok! I shall give you more, lol! It's down there… Just scroll… Thanks.**

**Nautica7mk: - Yup, Leo finds out in this chapter… Not in the best way possible either, but he does find out. I know, they were so nasty to him before, and then suddenly when he lets slip that he's family they couldn't be nicer… Oh well, I guess... Thanks for your review.**

**princesscatie21: - Yes, hate him! He's evil! Ok, I will.**

**cherry7up56: - How did you find me? *sulks* Oh well, thanks for your review. Aw, well don't cry too much…**

**Aldrea: - I seem to be saying this a lot lately but: DON'T CRY! *offers a tissue* And by the end of today I won't have any of those left either… thanks for your review and yes! Hurt Wyatt, he's evil.**

**Queen of the Elven City: - Ok, sorry for taking so long. This one didn't take so long, though! Thank you!  Thank you!**

**Cat: -**** Aw, thank you. ^_^ Thanks for your review, and don't cry!**

**Jessie Halliwell: -**** Wow, thanks so much! I hope I didn't take too long to update!**

**Chrisoriented: -**** You love it? Really? Thanks a lot.**

**MJ Rosemary: -**** Sorry about the slow update! I didn't mean it!  Yes, he learns the truth, thanks for your review, it was really kind.**

**Karone**** Evertree: -**** Yes, I'm still wondering what her reaction is going to be… But yeah, thanks for your review!**

**Claddagh Ring: - Aw! Have a tissue! Yes, damn Wyatt. He's evil. Thanks a lot, I really liked your review. She definitely does love him, ands wants to be a good mother. Yup, comic relief, thought I'd add a bit of that…**

**X3: - Yes, bad Wyatt! She was thinking of Wyatt as she died, not Chris… I know, it's sad. Thanks for reviewing.******

**More angst – Piper's funeral and another childhood memory.**** Thanks for your support. Ok, on Monday it's back to school, so fewer updates that normal. :-( Sorry about that… Thanks a lot, all of your reviews mean a lot to me. Also I may have got Piper's year of birth wrong.**

**Charmed Leo**

**********

Paige narrowed her eyes, not liking Wyatt's tone of voice at all. She ignored an explosion from behind her, announcing the last of Wyatt's demons being killed by Phoebe and fixed her gaze on him.

"What did you do to him?"

"You've got to stop this, Wyatt. There's got to be a way that we can resolve this peacefully without anyone getting hurt…"

"That's nice, father," Wyatt said, ignoring Paige. "I don't want to listen to any of your Elder pacifist crap though,"

"I'm not speaking as an Elder, I'm speaking as a father," Leo growled back, hating to watch his son torment another human being like this.

"But you never were much of a father to me, were you Leo?" Wyatt snarled, his upper lip curling. "You were even less of a father to him…" The sisters' eyes widened in shock, while Leo looked confused.

"I was never much of a father to who?"

A sick grin slowly spread across his face. "You didn't tell him, did you?" Wyatt asked sadistically. He looked down at his brother, nudging him with his foot. "Did you hear that? They were so sure that he wouldn't care, they didn't even tell him about you!" Chris looked at the floor, shying away from his brother's touch.

"Tell me what?" Leo said, turning to Piper. "What is he saying?" Paige looked to the floor, muttering out a reversal spell. Immediately Piper's stomach swelled back to its previous size and Leo looked at it in shock.

"You're… you're having another baby?" He said, failing to keep the hurt out of his voice. Piper nodded and studied the floor.

"It's your baby, though…" She whispered, looking back at him. "It's yours, Leo…"

"It's Chris!" Wyatt blurted out with a snort of laughter.

"What?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you, _Dad?_" Wyatt asked, sounding annoyed. "You, Mom. Sex. Baby… My brother…"

"Is it true?" Leo asked, not looking at anyone else in the room but Piper, demanding it all from her. "Is Chris my son?" Piper nodded, a tear silently escaping down her cheek. "Oh my God…" Leo said, suddenly remembering all of the times that he had been mean to Chris, yelled at him, hit him even…

"Got any more?" Phoebe asked Wyatt, walking over and smirking. She was relishing the outlet for all the emotions she was feeling inside her. Wyatt cocked an eyebrow at his aunt and waved an arm. Phoebe stood still and the attack rebounded. Wyatt used his shield as deflection and then threw the power back at his aunt. Phoebe, unprepared this time, sailed backwards into the corner and was knocked unconscious.

"Phoebe!" Paige yelled, starting to orb furniture at Wyatt in a rage. How _dare_ he! How _dare_ he come into their home and hurt her sisters, what gave him the right to kidnap Chris? The blond man crushed all of the orbs, making the furniture reappear and then sending it back at Paige. Eventually the red-headed witch-whitelighter was hit by a sideboard, which sent her to the ground and landed on her leg. There was a very audible _crack_ and Piper turned to see the bone protruding from her sister's skin.

"Stop this," Piper pleaded, turning to her son. "Please,"

"Ow…" Paige muttered, trying and failing to heave the cabinet off of her. She felt the two pieces of broken bone in her leg grate together and spasms of pain overtook her. Eventually she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Please…" Piper murmured again, torn between her sisters and her son. Leo turned to heal the younger Charmed Ones but Wyatt grabbed his wrist, and then reached out for Chris. "Stop it!" Piper yelled, trying to pry her son's fingers from his father's wrist. "Stop i-" A cold blast shocked her body and very suddenly she wasn't in the sunroom anymore.

**********

"Ok, where are we?" Piper looked over at the sea of black surrounding them. It looked a lot like Prue's funeral.

"It's a funeral home…" Leo said, stepping up behind a man standing at the back. "Excuse me…" The man didn't answer. Leo tapped him on his shoulder, and his hand passed right through the man. Leo withdrew his arm and inspected his hand.

It was translucent, the colour faded somewhat and he could see his skin, and yet through the back of his hand he could see the marble floor also.

"Oh my God… Piper, we're… This is a memory…"

**********

The scene around Chris blurred as tears threatened in his eyes. He silently watched the motion of the casket, the slow march up the aisle. He sniffs, and Victor puts a hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"It'll be ok, Chris. It'll all be ok…"

"How?" The teenager managed to croak out. How could this ever be ok? He grown up accustomed to loss – first his aunts, his cousin… But now his mother was dead. He hated to admit it but Piper had been the centre of his world and now… Now there was a void. An empty, meaningless void where she used to be.

Wyatt was sitting a seat away from him, putting an unoccupied chair between him and his brother. He was saving the place, he had told Chris, for Leo. ''He'll come. He loves me enough to come…' Chris had ignored how much those words had stung, how Wyatt believed that Leo only loved him enough, not Chris…

Victor, seeing Chris' eyes flick over the empty seat beside him, bent his head to whisper into teenager's ear, "Where's your father?" Chris just shrugged, not having seen him for weeks. It had been four days since he'd been knelt by his dying mother, screaming for his father's help. Leo hadn't come then, there was no reason to think that he would now.

"I don't know…" He glanced again towards the empty space next to him and his eyes hardened. "And I honestly don't care…" 

Victor shook his head, pursing his lips as his last daughter's cream casket was placed on a podium at the front of the building. After what he had done to his three children he had no right to speak ill of Leo. But he had tried to make it up to the sisters, and there was nothing he could have done anyway… Leo, on the other hand… Leo had the power to heal, to keep them alive. He had the power to be able to hear his charges and family, and yet he hadn't even turned up when Chris and Wyatt had needed him most, he hadn't even cared…

"Oh no…" Piper said, backing away from a woman. 

"What?" She pointed to the booklet in the woman's hand. Embellished on the front in raised gold lettering were the words:

_'Piper Halliwell, 1973-2018. Dearly departed, now you can be at peace. We love you, Mom,'_

"I'm in that casket…" She looked around the hall, spotting her much-older father sitting with two teenagers. "Wyatt and Chris…"

**********

The priestess at the front began the ceremony, and the whispered conversation between grandfather and grandson stopped. Victor looked around the room, taking in what a good job his grandsons had done of the funeral arrangements. Victor – having been out of his apartment for a while – had not picked up Chris' message until late last night. He had caught a plane straight to California when he had found out. 

They had had no help, and yet white lilies and roses were arranged neatly around the building, the podium was draped in a white muslin cloth, there were programmes and guests, and the priestess that had done all of the girls' funerals had been called upon again.

"…The wheel turns. As life is a day, so our sister has passed into night…" This is too much for Chris, whose body begins to shake and tears slid down his face. Again. Tears falling for Piper, for her life, for her death… He gave a hiccupping sob, his shoulders shaking. Victor patted him gently on the arm, trying his hardest to hold back his own sobs. Wyatt stayed staring steadily ahead, his face a completely neutral mask.

"…O' blessed spirit, we bid you farewell, for you await a new destiny…" Chris sprang up from his seat and took to his feet, drawing stares from the gathered mourners. He hit the doors and turned, watching the blue-grey smoke rise from the snuffed out candles.

"Bye, Mom…" He said, turning and fleeing from the marble palace of the dead.

"Chris! Wait!" Victor yelled, standing up and making his voice echo to the very ceiling. Chris kept running, blinded my tears he wrenched at creeping ivy that tried to trip him and stumbled over gravel paths, jumping headstones and weaving around people paying their respects to dead relatives.

"Chris!" Piper yelled, taking off after her son with Leo close behind.

"He can't hear you, Piper!" Leo reminded her, running through a headstone in his haste.

Chris took shelter under a spreading oak, sitting on the dusty ground beneath its spreading branches and hugging his knees to his chest. The leaves above him dappled the sunlight onto his arms and face, but he didn't notice or care. Piper was gone; the ceremony had well and truly marked her passing…

From his vantage point he could see the building begin to empty, the attendees shaking hands with Wyatt and Victor and offering condolences. He was pretty sure that he couldn't be seen here… The last to leave was the priestess, who shook hands with Victor and hugged Wyatt – who didn't return the gesture of comfort – and walked away. Chris saw Victor looking around nervously, but he couldn't see his grandson. Knowing that Chris had powers at his disposal and knowing that he had a reception to help run at the Manor he left with Wyatt.

"Oh…" Piper whispered, wanting to sweep him into a hug.

"Why Mom? Why?" Chris whispered, resting his forehead on his knees.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry…" Piper said, beginning to cry. Chris didn't hear her. A gentle warm wind blew around him, but he was too absorbed in his grief to notice.

**********

Weary feet trudged the sidewalk as Chris turned the corner into Prescott Street. The night was cooling rapidly around him, and the moon above him offered little in the way of warmth. Crickets chirped in the long grass. He paused in front of the Manor, taking a deep breath and walking up the garden path. He could still here some people inside so he slipped around to the kitchen door.

**********

"Ok, where are we now?" Piper hissed, forgetting that there was no need to keep her voice down.

"I think we're back in the Manor," Leo replied, looking around the kitchen.

"But-"

"Shush, listen. They're arguing,"

**********

Hearing raised voices Chris shrank into the shadows of the porch, crouching down to listen. He realized that Leo had come down at last, and was currently having an argument with his ex-father-in-law.

"He's your son, Leo! For Christ's sake, man!" Victor bellowed, leaning on the kitchen island.

"Chris will be fine," Leo said coldly, staring down the older man.

"You didn't seem to think that Wyatt would be fine! You sat with him for nearly forty minutes! I heard you! Apologizing over and over… And Chris is **missing**!"

"If Chris chooses not to be here when I visit then that is his own fault," Leo insisted, not getting angry at all.

"I said that?" The past Leo asked, shocked.

"How can you say that! You have another son, Leo, whether you like it or not!"

"You have another son, dammit!" The spirit-like Leo yelled, getting angry with his future self.

"I'm fully aware of that, Victor," Leo said curtly. "But it is my belief that Wyatt needs more attention than Chris because of who and what he is!" Leo said, his voice rising for the first time. "Maybe I don't like having a teenager vying for my attention while I'm trying to save half the world!" 

A tear slipped down Chris' cheek. More proof that Leo didn't care for him as much as he did Wyatt. He caught his grandfather's shocked expression. The old face darkened.

"I don't know how you can say that! Chris is a great kid, and would really benefit from spending some decent time with his father…"

"Chris is a trooper. He'll get through it. Wyatt!" Chris' older brother appeared in the room.

"Leo!" Piper said, totally shocked.

"I didn't know," he said, turning to his ex-wife. "I didn't ever think that I would be like this…" Piper put a hand protectively onto her pregnant stomach and looked back at the argument.

"What? Where are you taking him?" Victor demanded.

"We're going away for a little while. I want to help Wyatt get over this."

"Only Wyatt?" Past Leo asked in disbelief. "Why didn't I take Chris as well?" Piper didn't answer him.

"What about your other son?" Victor growled through gritted teeth.

"Chris? You can tell Chris where we've gone,"

"He won't mind, he never does," Wyatt added, walking closer to Leo.

"Did it never occur to you that he was pretending that he didn't mind? Just not wanting to be a burden?"

"We're leaving Wyatt," Leo said icily. "And Victor, when I want fathering tips I will go to someone who didn't walk out on their wife and kids because she got bored and had sex with another man, ok?"

"Son of a bitch!" Victor roared, slamming his fist down on the kitchen island and making the dirty crockery and cutlery jump. "How **dare** you?"

"If Chris calls we'll come," Wyatt said, and together father and son orbed out.

Victor was breathing heavily, trying hard to control his anger. "Bastard…" He muttered. "Complete and utter bastard…" He checked the kitchen clock, went to the cordless phone and dialled. "Hello? Yes. I'd like to report a missing person. Yes. He's fourteen, dark hair. Uh… Black jeans, a white, button-down shirt without a tie and a black leather jacket. Yes. Well for about four hours now… Well yes, I understand that, but he's missing now. Something could be happening to him now. I don't want to call back in seventy-two hours! I want the city searched for him NOW! H-hello? Hello?"

He slammed the phone back onto its cradle and turned around. Chris had to duck out of sight to stop Victor seeing him and his elbow knocked a plant pout. It hit the floor, soil spewing out and terracotta flying in all directions. Chris swore and got up, only to realize that his foot had gone to sleep from crouching. The door flew open just as Chris hobbled to the steps.

Leo had his face in his hands. He shook his head. "I can't believe that I was like that! I was so mean, I didn't care…"

"You've got another chance, Leo," Piper said, indicating her bump.

"I won't screw this one up…" Leo vowed, turning as Victor opened the back door.

"Who's there?" The porch light clicked on. "**Chris?** Is that you?" The teenager turned to his grandfather, the tear tracks too conspicuous in the harsh light.

"Yeah…"

"Where have you been? I was so worried…" Chris looked at the floor and there was a long pause. "Oh, Chris… You were there all the time, weren't you?" Victor asked softly. Another tear was the answer that Victor needed. "Come in, I'll get you something to drink..." Chris sniffed and crossed the threshold, closing the door behind him.

**********

"Oh my God, Chris," Piper whispered, snapping out of it and snatching her hand back in horror. "I'm so sorry for leaving you…"

"Chris…" Leo began, emotion closing up his throat. That was all he could manage as he looked at his second son, so battered and bruised, feeling so hurt and dejected. "I'm so sorry," Leo murmured, turning his head away in shame. "I didn't know that I'd be like that…"

"Well now you do," Wyatt said, pleased that the turmoil he had caused in his father's mind.

"Is this what you've been doing? Showing him things like that?" Piper demanded. "How could you? Look what you've done to him!"

"Correction, mother," Wyatt snapped. "Look what _you've_ done to him. I just replayed those memories in his head; you were the ones who did them in the first place…" Piper gasped, seeing truth in that statement.

"What did I do?"


	9. Chapter 9

**This is written under this new pen name, Twisted Flame. My old one didn't seem right for what I am writing now, so I changed it. Ok, same story, same everything, new pen name. Ok? Ok. Good.**

****

**DISCALIMER: - Hey ya'll. I don't own. You don't sue. Si? Comprende? Excellent!**

**Pixie Wildfire: - No! You can't have! They're my tissues, MINE!**

**Dark Fires: - Aw, don't cry, lol. Thanks for reviewing, though. You can keep doing that. ^_~ Cliff-hangers happen… A lot… Lol…**

**Queen of the Elven City: - Thank you!**

**Faith: -**** I try to make it good, lol. Thanks for your review.**

**X3: - Lol, I hope your heart doesn't break, or I expect I'd have to pay for it… -_- Thanks for reviewing, and isn't it sad how much I've made Chris' life suck?**

**xx*an*insomniacs*nightmare*xx: - Yeah, I know. Poor Chris… Thanks for your review.**

**Ennaurial: -**** Where'd you go on holiday? Was it anywhere nice? Lol. Thanks for your review. Yeah, a lot of people got hurt, didn't they? My holiday? Well it was too damn short, but apart from that, not bad at all.**

**Don't cry too much, I seem to have given all of my tissues away… Huh…**

**Lol, did you tell her what was wrong? Don't cry, it should get better… Hopefully should get better… I hope…**

**Nautica7mk: - Romantic comedies? Lol, I made you think of romantic comedies?! Lol, that's the only review that made me laugh… Anyhoo thanks for reviewing, it was really sweet.**

**DrewFullerFan4Life: - Lol, what was the ew for? Ok, I'll keep going, lol. **

**Terra fea: -**** There's more, there just wasn't in that chapter, lol. Thanks for reviewing and here is the hopefully long-awaited chapter 9!**

**Darla101: - Yeah, I made lots of people hate Leo… Whoops, considering my pen name, lol. Thanks for your review, and thanks for the compliment!**

**Magicgrrl: -**** Being grounded SUCKS a ****LOT****… I need to see ****Spin****City****… It's on soon… Hopefully soon anways… Well get everyone at the asylum to throw their Coke cans at him and stuff… Then maybe he won't be so evil… Thanks for reviewing, lol… Your reviews are always so… Unique? (Another word for odd, by the way, lol).**

**Denna5: -**** Yup, as usual, sad for all except Wyatt… The way I'm writing him is making me hate him… Hm…**

**Karone Evertree: -**** I think that part was just Wyatt saying bad stuff to Piper… Yes, Leo is a BAD father… Piper should blow him up…**

**Cat: -**** Thanks a lot, and thanks for the review, lol. I'm sorry about the wait, though…**

**Claddagh Ring: - Aw, thank you! You really make me feel great about myself, thanks a lot. It means so much to me. Thanks for saying about my characterization, which I believe goes wrong sometimes, but anyway… Thanks so much.**

**Pheniox-skye: - Whoa, Caps lock! Lol, thanks for your review.**

**darkdestiney2000: - I know! So sad! Thanks for reviewing.**

**Taynna: - Lol, real life sucks! I'd much rather sit here and pretend that it doesn't exist… I could wear blinkers and stick my fingers in my ears and hum a little tune… But that's not gonna happen. Don't worry about it, I haven't updated for *checks* I think nine days now, because of my damn real life, so yeah… Hm… I had to make that up, because I'd protected the house too damn well and they couldn't get in any other way, lol… Thanks for a reviewing… THREE times, lol.**

**Jokes suck, half the time they're not even funny. They're mean… Yup, you were right Leo's ignorance didn't last too long… Oh well… No more bliss for him, then… Yeah, I'd stay away from my sister… Even though I wouldn't get pregnant to have the baby vanished… Hm…**

**Little Wyatt is at Darryl and Shelia's, they dropped him off after orbing out of the office and before they orbed into the back yard. I wrote that in, but it was only a line, so it wasn't that easy to see… Wyatt's trying his damn hardest not to do anything to the timeline… Well anything that wouldn't benefit him anyway. ^_~**

**cherry7up56: -Lol, ya… No one likes getting knocked out. Thanks for your review.**

**Princesscatie21: -**** Lol, if I hand you the gun you can pull the trigger, ok?**** Thanks for reviewing, it manes a lot to me.**

**Wow if you keep this up my head will be too big to fit anywhere! Thank you all so much, and I just want to say sorry for the delay… I went back to school this week and it's been a totally tiring nightmare from beginning to end.**

**Charmed Leo**

**************

"You didn't do anything, Mom," Chris whispered, looking up at Piper's tear-streaked face. "You didn't do anything except leave me…"

"I'm so sorry…" Piper apologized, sniffing. "I didn't mean to…"

"Touching," Wyatt sneered. "Really, very touching. But I'm sorry, Mother. We have an agenda to meet, don't we, Chris?" Chris fell silent looked back at the floor.

Piper's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you going to do?" 

Wyatt paused, trying to decide if he disclose his plan to his parents. Finally he spoke up. "In the future, taking over took too long. Too many good demons had to die. It was messy. Sloppy, even. And it all went wrong. But now I'm here I get another chance, a chance to do it all again. I get a twenty year head start, and this time I get to do it with Chris," Chris flinched at the mention of Wyatt using him to take over.

"He wouldn't join you," Leo spat angrily at his older son, finding his voice. "Chris is _good,"_ The Elder protested, completely contradicting all that he had said about Chris before. His hands were balled into fists at his side.

Wyatt blinked. "Well, how interesting. Tell me Leo, when did you grow a spine?" He paused. "Or was that Chris' doing?" He looked down at his brother. Chris was still leaning against the wall, his legs stretched out in front of him. Leo, remembering Valhalla, flushed slightly red.

"Chris, fight it," Piper demanded, reaching out to him. "You don't want to be evil…"

"What's the point?" Chris murmured, toying with a small piece of glass, pushing it along with his finger. "What's the point when all being good did was to cause me pain? You all hated me when I was good, and you completely doted on Wyatt, even when he was evil…"

"Chris…" Leo pleaded. "Please… Don't listen to him…"

Chris looked up at him, eyes blazing in the first display of emotion that Leo had seen since he had been in the room. "You always told me to listen to him. You always told me to be exactly like Wyatt, and when I couldn't you hated me. Wyatt looked after me, he protected me… You? You didn't even care…" Fresh tears welled up in Chris' eyes and the spark faded. He swiped them away angrily, but not before two could escape down his face. "No one even cared…" He told them, in an even smaller voice.

"That's not true!" Piper yelled, hurt in her voice. "I would always have cared!"

"That was a completely different me, Chris…" Leo said, backing Piper up. 

"I'm sorry…" Chris said, looking up at Leo and waving an arm. Leo was catapulted through the air and hit the wall, sliding limply to the floor. Chris' glittering green gaze turned to his mother. "Mom…" 

"Please, Chris…" Piper begged. "Please?"

He shook his head, feeling more tears prick his eyes. "I can't… I don't know how…" 

"You do, all you've got to do is-"

Wyatt looked slightly panicked and waved his hand at his mother. "Sleep," Piper crumpled, completely unconscious.  "Come, Chris…" Wyatt said, helping his brother almost tenderly off of the floor. Chris took one last look at his unconscious family and followed his brother from the room.

**********

"There it is…" Wyatt breathed, clearing some boxes out of the way. In front of the Halliwell brothers stood the Sword, embedded deep in its stone. Wyatt took the hilt, but then released it and stepped back. "Chris…" He said slowly and invitingly, making way for the younger man.

He looked to the floor, feeling inferior all over again. "It's yours, Wyatt…" Chris mumbled. "Only you and Mom can pull it out…" 

"Ah, but did you ever _try_ Chris? Did you ever get near enough to pull it out?" Wyatt asked, setting off niggling unanswered questions in his brother's brain.

"Nobody ever let me…" Chris whispered, suddenly mesmerized by the light glinting on the blade. "Nobody ever thought that I could, so nobody ever let me try…" Slowly an orange orb started to appear in the middle of the steel as the sun rose and cast its red-yellow rays onto the metal.

"Well I'm letting you try, Chris. Go on," 

Wyatt held his breath as Chris reached out a shaking hand, but as he brushed the Sword Chris made a fist and drew back, shaking his head. "I don't want to," He told his brother, slightly fearful about the result.

"Do it, Chris…" Wyatt said, a hint of a threat creeping into his voice. "Think about all of the times everyone held you back; think about how much you always wanted to just _try_ to pull it out… Try to be like me, be accepted…" 

Compelled by these words Chris' hand reached out again, this time grasping the handle. Considering that it was metal it felt warm to his touch. He stood there for a moment, grasping the weapon in his hand. He pulled and with a grating noise that set his teeth on edge the sword was wrenched free.

Chris gaped at it.

"How… But how?"

"You pulled the Sword, brother. Sign that we were meant to rule together. Side. By. Side." 

Chris felt the power surge through him; leaping up his arms and seemingly making his hair stand on end. He gripped it tighter, curling another hand around it. "How come nobody ever let me try this? How come they always hated me, and never let anyone but you use it?" Chris breathed, feeling wonder as the strength became interlaced with his blood. He closed his eyes, letting Excalibur infuse him with its power.

"They were afraid, Chris," Wyatt began. "They were afraid of what we could do together…" He grinned, seeing Chris' eyes closed. "Doesn't it feel good? Doesn't the power you now wield make you feel better than you've ever felt in your life?"

"Yes…"

"Good… Then let's go," Wyatt extended an arm towards his brother and together the two Halliwells orbed away from the Manor.

**********

"Ow…" Phoebe said, sitting up too fast and sending searing pains through her skull. She closed her eyes, biting her tongue to stop a scream. Slowly she put her hand to the back of her head and it came back sticky, thick with dark congealing blood. She groaned, her vision blurring around her. Her eyes fell on Paige. "Oh my God, Paige!" 

Phoebe crawled over to her sister and used Paige's power to orb the cabinet away. It landed on the floor even more splintered and skidded into the doorway. "Paige, wake up!" Phoebe tapped her sister's pale face. Paige stirred, turning her head to one side. She gave an indistinguishable groan that Phoebe almost missed.

"Don't wanna…"

"Paige," 

The witch-Whitelighter groaned, screwing her eyes shut. "What?" 

"You've gotta wake up, sweetie…" Phoebe said, giving up bullying and trying gentle cajoling. "Come on…" Phoebe gripped her half-sister's shoulders, giving them a gentle shake.

"Alright already… My leg hurts…" Paige moaned, screwing up her face in pain.

"I know, it's broken…"

Paige groaned again and sat up, ignoring stabbing pains and waves of dizziness that threatened to overtake her. "Chris…?"

"I don't know, he's not here,"

"Ok, I'm in serious need of some healing…" Paige commented, looking down at the bone sticking out of her leg and feeling sick. "Where's Leo?"

"Over there. I'll just wake him up…" Phoebe crawled, still on all fours, to the unconscious Elder. "Leo…" She paused, hoping for a response. "Leeeeeeeo?" She got nothing. "LEO, DAMMIT!" Lying on its side on the floor beside her was a vase, and she picked it up, emptying what little water was left inside onto the Elder's face.

"Whoa! Wyatt!" He said, jumping awake.

"Wyatt's gone…" Phoebe said, helping him into a sitting position. "Are you hurt?"

Leo shook his head, mentally checking himself. "No, I don't think so…"

"Good. Paige's leg is broken…"

"Your head looks broken too…" He held up a hand and let a golden light shine over Phoebe's wound, sealing it completely. 

"Thanks... Go see to Paige…" She looked over at her younger sister, who had passed out again. Leo made his way over to Paige whilst Phoebe, newly healed and able to walk, went over to Piper.

The oldest Halliwell was sleeping peacefully, a neutral expression on her face but with her arms curled protectively around her abdomen. Her knees were drawn up too, almost concealing the pregnant bump.

"Piper…"

"Mmm-hm?" She said gently, her smile faltering a little.

"Are you going to wake up?" 

Piper's eyelids fluttered open slowly and Phoebe watched her pupils frantically shrink. "What happened?" Piper asked groggily, feeling as though her brain was clogged with molasses. "Where's Wyatt? And Chris?"

"I don't know…"

"Why?" Piper asked, shaking all traces of fatigue away. "What happened to them?"

"I don't know. Leo's healing Paige and then we're gonna find them, ok?"

"I'm finding them NOW," Piper said, heaving herself up and making for the stairs.

"Piper…"

"Catch up with me!" Piper's voice yelled, muffled from the top of the stairs. Phoebe sighed and went over to Paige and Leo.

"She's nearly there," Leo assured Phoebe, concentrating on Paige's leg. "Give me a couple more seconds," Phoebe nodded as Paige's leg sealed and the bone slipped back under the skin. The youngest sister woke up with a start.

"Whoa!"

"Easy, Paige…" Leo soothed, helping her up.

"Come on, Piper went up to the attic," Phoebe said, leading the way to the stairs.

**********

Piper was leaning over the map table, the scrying crystal hovering over a map of San Francisco. It swung in ever-widening circles, but came to rest nowhere.

"Why isn't this working?" Piper exploded suddenly, slamming the crystal down onto the map. "It should be finding Chris!" 

Paige began to pace up and down the attic and Leo sat on the couch, apparently lost somewhere deep in his own thoughts. "It will, be patient," Phoebe shushed, gently pushing Piper aside. "Now you sit there and hold my hand and I'll have a go at it, ok?" Piper sat down heavily, squeezing Phoebe's hand. 

For around five minutes the crystal circled over the map, and Phoebe's arm began to ache and her head began to become sore from watching it go round. That and scrying took a lot out of you. She regularly gave Piper's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Leo finally asked.

Piper was startled. "Because you were already giving up enough to be Up There. I didn't want your decision to change jut because you had another kid on the way!" She looked down at the rug, studying the pattern. She spoke up, quieter this time, "Maybe I should have told you, but would it really have made anything easier?"

"How long have you known?" Leo demanded.

"Since… Since the day on the Ghostly Plane, when he was conceived…"

"THAT LONG?" Leo yelled in disbelief. "You've all known that long? And didn't even think about _starting_ to work out how to tell me?"

This is not what Piper needed right now, she was already starting to show the signs of becoming a nervous wreck. "We've known longer…" Paige said, glaring at Leo. "I've known since the whole genie incident…"

"And I've known since that mind quest I went on in Magic School. You remember the wolf?"

"Yeah, exactly. So don't yell at Piper, ok? Yell at all of us, she doesn't need this right now…" 

"I don't believe you!" Leo exclaimed, shaking his head. "  All of you!"

"I knew you'd react like this, Leo! I knew that you'd blow it out of proportion!" Piper said angrily, standing up and waving her hands in the air in such a way everyone waited for something to blow up. Small translucent white birds did circuits around the attic before dissolving in a swirl of lilac lights.

"Don't ask!" Piper snapped and Leo was about to ask a question.

"Piper… Do I not have a right to react like I am? Finding out six months after I had sex with my wife for the last time that I have another kid coming? And not only that I have another kid coming who's already come back from the future? To save his _brother_!?" He paused, his face draining of colour. He sat back down on the couch, his face in his hands. "I was such a bastard… Poor Chris…"

"We were all terrible to him, and I really think it hurt him badly. Although whatever Wyatt's doing to him is hurting him more, so can we please FOCUS!" Phoebe said, overturning the map table. Everyone jumped at the crash. Phoebe winced. "Sorry, sorry… All that anger went to my head for a minute there…"

"It's ok," Paige reassured her. "I think we were gonna need to use this anyway," She handed her sister a map of the world. "They could be anywhere."

**********

Chris sliced at the air with Excalibur, cleaving an energy ball into two. The two halves brushed past him harmlessly, exploding on the stone behind him. Another barrage of energy balls. He started twirling the weapon in a repeated figure of eight, the air screaming with a high-pitched whistle as the blade sliced through. He caught all of the deadly orbs and the sword came to rest near his side.

"Well done…" Wyatt complimented. "I think you're ready."

"Where are we going?"

"The Underworld. Come on," Chris, fully believing that nobody cared except Wyatt, disappeared once more with his brother. 

**********

"There!" Phoebe yelled, pushing the crystal off of the place name. "They're in-" The crystal jumped again, rolling off of the map altogether. A disappointed silence filled the room. "Well we _had_ them…" Phoebe muttered gloomily, taking the chain between finger and thumb once more.

**********

The orbing lights faded and Chris and Wyatt were standing in a cavern, right in the centre of a ring of demons. It appeared to be some kind of meeting, with all levels of demons there. Chris could see Darklighters and warlocks amongst the many demons. He shuddered at all of the cold eyes glaring at him. His brother held up his hand as fire and energy balls ignited around them.

"Don't throw those," Wyatt said callously. "Or you won't live to regret it," He cocked an eyebrow at the crowd and a few demons put them out, aware of the power coming off of this one individual. "Give me the Sword, Chris." Wyatt commanded, holding out his hand.

Chris was reluctant to let go of the power he felt in his hands. He held it out, meaning to give it to Wyatt, but something stopped him. Wyatt just held out his hand and the Sword wrenched itself away from Chris and into Wyatt's waiting hands.

"My sword, Chris. Remember that. I'm just letting you borrow it," Chris looked to the floor, scuffing a shoe at the sandy stone.

"Now…" The blond turned back to the demons, most of whom had their weapons still lit up in their palms. "Oh please. Are you still planning on throwing those at me?" A demon let loose an energy ball in answer but Wyatt caught it and crushed it. 

A collective gasp went up and then a wave of muttering went through the assembled demons. Wyatt answered the attack with an energy ball of his own, burning the demon that had assaulted him to a pile of ash on the ground.

"Anyone else?" Wyatt spread his hands wide, still holding the sword with his right, an energy ball in his left. "Come on there, surely you can all do better than that…"

An energy ball and a fireball streaked towards him and he threw Excalibur, slicing through both of the orbs and dissipating them. The sword kept flying, spinning towards the demons. It lopped off the two heads of the demons that had thrown the balls and then, when Wyatt held out his hand, boomeranged back towards its master. The heads and bodies disappeared in a burst of fire. 

Wyatt grinned.

Suddenly Chris screamed in pain, clutching at his side. Wyatt spun around and saw an arrow embedded deep into his brother's abdomen. A darklighter, realizing how they had entered, had taken advantage of the fact that Wyatt was distracted by killing demons and had shot Chris.

"WHO DID THIS?" Wyatt roared, revolving slowly on the spot, his face twisted with anger. "WHO SHOT HIM?" Another arrow sliced its way towards him, but with two swipes of Excalibur the bolt lay in three pieces on the ground. "You." His grey eyes blazing he stared at the man that had shot at him and his brother, stepping forward and splintering the arrow further, then flicking his wrist at the darklighter. 

All of the poison tipped arrows rose from their quiver and hovered, point towards the darklighter, in the air. The darklighter's face contorted with fear. Wyatt flicked his wrist again and each arrow shot towards their owner, the final one burying itself deep into the darklighter's skull between his eyes and vanquishing him.

"It'll be ok, Chris…" Wyatt said, bending down and holding his hands out over the wound. A small gesture with two fingers made the arrow fly out of Chris' body, vanquishing the demon that it thudded into. Wyatt didn't notice or care. Chris was pale, with beads of sweat covering his forehead already. Wyatt looked concerned for the first time and held his hands over his fallen brother, slowly healing the wound. When Chris was healed Wyatt stood up.

"ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE WANT TO TRY AND KILL ME?" He roared to the cavern, watching demons bow their heads and kneel before him. He smirked at how easily they were bent to his will. "Anyone, and I mean **anyone, **tries anything like that with my brother again will have to answer to me, have you got that?" Another collective murmur, this one of agreement. 

"Good! Now get out of my sight and don't come back until I call. One by one the demons and warlocks shimmered and blinked from view.

Chris, still sprawled at Wyatt's feet, looked up at his older brother with a new kind of fear.


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCALIMER: - I only pretend to own Charmed. And ruining a guy's fantasies by suing me for it would be cruel, so don't, ok?**

**I am so, so sorry for the delay. I know it's been far too long, and I hope I haven't lost any of you because of that. I'm really sorry; I've just been so busy and the only time I get to write properly is the weekends… I spent all day today writing this… Well nearly, I had some school stuff to do --, but I hope you like it.**

**Nautica7mk****: - Yup, they're gonna loose them both… Heh, heh, heh… Well thanks for your review!**

**MarieWalker****: - Thanks so much! Unfortunately Chris DOES believe Wyatt…**

**Alcandre****: - Well I guess we could take a trip to the Issue Store… They might sell more issues… Don't cry or all my freedom will be taken away!**

**cherry7up56****: - Wyatt? Sentimental? Maybe, lol… Or maybe not… Thanks for reviewing.**

**princesscatie21****: - Yup! Chris is evil… uh-oh… Oh well, thanks for reviewing, it will all be resolved in the end!**

**X3****: - Lol, yup… Piper was right when she said the family needed therapy… Thanks for reviewing.**

**Faith****: - Wow, I loved your review. Thanks so much. The conflict of the brothers is sad, but they really do have to deal with each other in the end…**

**Charmed Amber****: - Hey! I changed my pen name too; I get bored really easily… Which is why my hair is no longer blond, it's red… Yeah, I know, but I remembered now! I'm not Charmed Leo anymore! Don't take five years… Whoops… Sorry…**

**Karone Evertree****: - Chris can wield Excalibur, and I'm not sure if it's a real idea… But the Charmed writers seemed to have forgotten about the Sword, it's just stuffed in the attic and no one has seen it since the end of that episode… HOW CAN YOU FORGET ABOUT A HUGE LUMP OF STONE?! Lol sorry… Yes, Wyatt, get in the damn corner! No, don't blast me, don't! Argh! … Whoops…**

**Terra fea****: - Lol, you like bad Chris, huh? Thanks for reviewing, I am rather proud of my twist, lol, seeing as how it wasn't planned… But oh well…**

**Chrisoriented****: - Wow, thanks so much!**

**Pheniox-skye****: - See, here is more… Just not very quickly, but here is more…**

**Musicstarlover****: - Wyatt… And caring… there's a possibility that he doesn't care, but then again he might… Lol, I'm not too sure… thanks for reviewing, though!**

**denna5:**** - I think EVERYONE'S gonna need a whole lot of therapy by the time this is over… Thanks for reviewing.**

**Aldrea****: - Lol, thanks… They could do great things, but with Wyatt at the helm do you think they will? Nah… Thanks for reviewing.**

**Whyra-carna****: - They should team up… Hm, maybe…**

**Queen of the Elven City****: - Thanks! Wyatt has got Chris truly believing that Wyatt is the only one who cares, that's why Chris went with him.**

**Claddagh Ring****: - Oh, no! Don't get jealous! And I have the opposite problem; I only seem to get ideas for Charmed fics… Which really bugs me because I like other genres… I just never write any… I thought chapter nine was my worse chapter so far, but apparently not… Thanks a lot, reviewers like you mean so much to me, you make me feel great.**

**Dark Fires****: - Definitely poor Chris… I like bashing him too much, huh?**

**Mor Cartel****: - Wyatt… compassion… Compassion… Wyatt… Lol, I don't actually know, I shall have to get back to you on that one…**

**Rando insane person****: - I'd like to write the Charmed scripts… No one would accept my writing, but I'd like to right them all the same… Thanks a lot, by the way.**

**Taynna****: - Yup, Wyatt is horribly possessive… And the pregnancy symptoms are cool! Even though I made up the pretty little things and I'm being horribly immodest, but hey… That's just what Wyatt does though… Damn short fuse…**

**Amila007****: - Thanks for reviewing, I liked it a lot.**

**Caro****: - I updated! See! Lol, thanks for reviewing.**

**Ok… is exhausted so many of you fabulous people reviewed! It makes me fell great! Sorry if I left some of you out, though… I think ff.net might be being screwy… If I left some of you out then I'm really sorry, I love you anyway!**

**Twisted Flame**

****

"What do you think, Christopher?" Wyatt asked, holding out both arms and revolving slowly on the spot. "What do you think to this place?"

Chris looked up at the high vaulted ceiling that was hidden in shadow and then around at the slightly damp and, in some places, slimy, rocky walls. An air of gloom hovered over the place; the cold appeared to hang in the air, biting at exposed skin. He shivered appropriately.

"It's…" Chris began, not quite knowing what to tell Wyatt. "It's… it's a good place for a throne room…" 

"I know that, Chris," Wyatt said impatiently. "That's why I picked it. But what do you _think_?"

"It's… nice?" 

Wyatt snorted with contempt. "Never really were one for words, were you, Chris?" The younger just shrugged, proving Wyatt's point. "It's not just nice, it's _prefect_… A perfect place to rule from… I could conjure a throne right in the middle…" 

Chris turned away from Wyatt, rubbing his arms to try and discourage the Goosebumps. In the dim light, he spotted Excalibur, lying where Wyatt had abandoned it in the dirt. It glinted invitingly, and he took a few steps towards it.

The sword twitched and then slid neatly across the ground, levitating about an inch from the stone floor. Wyatt trapped it under his foot as Chris whirled around looking confused.

"I told you, it's MINE," Wyatt spat, the selfish air coming across in the face twisted with anger. "If you try something like that again, I am really going to have to hurt you, understood?" Chris focused on the part of the sword where the tip of the blade disappeared into a point too fine to see. "Chris?" Wyatt's arm shot out and the telekinetic blast hit his brother in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall.

He groaned and rolled over, his eyes screwed shut against the pain. Wyatt was the last and only member of his family that had ever treated him decently, and now this? Now his big brother was flinging him into walls?

"Listen to me, ok?" Wyatt said, extending a hand to help Chris up. "Always listen to me…" He paused, suddenly getting what looked like a brainwave. With a gesture of his free hand Wyatt lifted Chris up the wall, pinning him there.

Chris struggled against the grip, even throwing his own telekinesis as his brother, but the Sword seemed to absorb it, batting it away as if it never existed. Chris quickly gave up struggling, reasoning that Wyatt wasn't hurting him. After all, what did he have to struggle for? What was there to escape to?

"Wyatt, please, put me down," He was ignored, and he watched his brother become mesmerized by the blade, in much the same way as he himself had earlier. Chris suddenly saw a flash of steel and then heard an odd noise as Excalibur plunged deep into his shoulder and into the stone beneath.

Wyatt, not wanting Chris' weight to tear the whole shoulder out, kept him pinned to the spot. Slowly Chris felt the wound begin a dull throb, pulsating and spurting blood forwards with every heartbeat. He tried to move his other hand to probe the wound but the magic holding him was too strong.

The room began to spin and he breathed deeper, trying to ignore the odd roaring and rushing noise in his ears. The sight of himself skewered to the wall was making him feel sick… The blade had sunk clean through his shoulder and straight into the stone beneath…

But then the throbbing started to cease and he felt a burst of power explode from the wound, binding to his blood and creeping into every corner of his body. It danced in his very eyes and tingled at his fingertips. Chris gave a shuddering gasp and closed his eyes, barely feeling the Sword being wrenched free and him dropping to the ground. Wyatt healed the wound and Chris looked around, gazing up at Wyatt.

His black pupils had taken over his eyes completely, devouring the aqua colour whole.

"I don't know what else to try…" Paige whispered, setting the crystal down and burying her face in the crook of her arm. She yawned deeply, her eyelids fluttering closed.

"Hey!" Piper yelled, clapping her hands loudly. Paige jumped awake. 

"Yes, ok… So I can't find Chris…" 

"Maybe Leo will have had better luck…" Piper mumbled hopefully, not really believing it. "Come on, get up," Piper grabbed Paige's hand and pulled. "We're gonna try Calling a Lost Witch again…"

"Not again, Piper…" Phoebe whined. "You still haven't scraped the wax of the floor from last time…" She continued, motioning to the ring of candles that had guttered and then drowned in liquid wax, spilling candle wax all over the floor that had now hardened in shiny white puddles.

"Come on, Honey…" Paige gently steered Piper to the couch. "Sit down…"

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid," Was the reply, a line Paige now recognized and was very familiar with.

She tactfully steered around it. "If not for you, for Chris… For both Chris's sakes…"

"Huh?"

"If you go into labour now not only might both of them die, but little Chris would get his powers. And if little Chris has his powers, it means that big Chris can't have his… So big Chris would be defenceless against Wyatt…"

"Are you just trying to confuse me enough to make me sit down and think about it?" Piper asked.

"There's that…" Paige said, grinning and almost forcefully sitting Piper on the couch. "Now you sit there until Leo comes back…" Just that moment the Elder decided to orb in. "Damn you, Leo!" Paige said as Piper stood up with a smirk.

"Ha!"

"W-what?"

"Never mind…" Paige groaned, slumping down into the seat that Piper had vacated. She tucked her legs under her and laid her head on the arm of the couch. She closed her eyes again, and was soon breathing deeply. Phoebe, taking advantage of Paige being oblivious to the world, grabbed a cushion and put it on her sister's thigh, resting her head on it.

"Hey, sisters!" Piper yelled, but Leo caught both of her hands before she could clap them together. 

"Let them sleep, they're exhausted… They're gonna need all the energy they can get, trust me…" He stepped closer to Piper, getting a closer look at her face.

Last night's makeup was patchy now, the lipstick less perfectly applied, eyelashes glued together with mascara. Foundation was streaked, indicating that she had been crying. But as she stood there in the light, her eyes swollen and puffy, her makeup literally falling off her face she looked beautiful. Six moths of pregnant bump swelled out before her, and she was tired and had purple rings under her eyes, a stark contrast against the pale face. And yet she has never looked so radiant, so alive, with the light making a halo on her hair she looked so…

"Leo!" Piper yelled, snapping him out of it.

"Wha-, huh?"

"I thought you were going to sleep on me as well…"

"No, sorry, Piper…"

"What did you find out?"

Leo strode across the room instead of explaining, kicking out at cardboard boxes and sending them skidding across the floor. "This…"

Piper looked at what he was showing her. The Sword was gone from the stone. She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. Wyatt and herself were the only ones who could pull the Sword, so that meant that Wyatt had taken it. She shook her head and turned away, fear creeping through her for the first time.

"The Elders what? They sensed the Sword?" Piper asked, draining the last of her coffee. She was sitting at the kitchen table opposite Leo, and their hands were wrapped around their separate mugs.

"No, they sensed a great power. Then they realized that the great power was Wyatt wielding the Sword. They'd already felt a minor disturbance, because of the portal that brought Wyatt here… But Wyatt masked it, meaning that They didn't know that he was back in this time…"

Piper grabbed the coffee pot and poured herself some more coffee, wordlessly offering Leo some. Leo, just as mutely, declined the offer with a shake of his head.

"What are we gonna do, Leo?" Piper asked, stirring in sugar and sipping her coffee, looking small and lost.

"We're gonna find them, and-"

"I mean about Wyatt… and about Chris… We have one evil son and one that Wyatt has turned evil…"

Leo reached out a hand and grasped Piper's, letting his thumb caress the top of her hand. "We'll deal with it, Piper. We've dealt with worse…"

"Have we? I don't remember when…"

"Listen Piper, we're going to get them back… We're going to send Wyatt back to the future and then we're gonna try and help Chris, ok?" Piper took her hand away and rubbed them across her eyes. "You're exhausted…" Leo noted, a hint of sympathy creeping into his voice.

Piper shook her head. "No, I was napping on the floor while you were all unconscious… I'm fine, trust me…" She drained her mug, took Leo's and went over to the sink. She ran water and began to wash up.

The pregnant brunette gasped slightly as Leo came up behind her and let his arms encircle her waist, comforting her with his presence. She pressed herself backwards into his reassuring bulk for a while and smiled, before picking a mug out of the sink and putting it on the side to drain.

"I don't know what to do, Leo… everything's out of my control… And that scares me…"

Leo nuzzled into her neck, only half listening and breathing in her scent. Gently he kissed the warm flesh, closing his eyes. He felt Piper stop moving, her abdomen hitch as she drew in a gasp, and then she turned around, pulling his head downwards so their lips could meet long enough for them to share a kiss…

Piper pulled away, her doe eyes horrified. She was a terrible mother, her sons were missing and all she could do was kiss her husband… All she could think about was her own satisfaction and Leo…

She pushed him away and turned back to the sink, her eyes pooling and shimmering under salt tears. She couldn't do this right now, it was hormones… God she was so confused…

"Piper?"

"Leave me alone…"

"Piper…"

"No, Leo, don't. Just… don't, ok? This is all really confusing for me, and having you so near when… when you're going to leave me again... leave us again… Just… it… I can't do it, ok, Leo? I just can't…"

"Ok, I'm sorry Piper…" Leo said, hurt evident in his voice. 

"Just… just… yeah…" She fished out the last mug from the suds but her vision was so impaired by tears and her hands were shaking so much that she dropped it. She flicked her hands, intending to freeze it but it blew up, sending ceramic shards skimming across the tiles. "Dammit!" Piper cried, burying her face in her hands. Leo went over to her and put his hand on her shoulder, but she turned and blew him up.

"Look, everything is really hard when you're near me, ok? So let's just… let's just do our jobs as parents and then we'll see, ok?" She told the mass of floating orbs before running out of the room in tears.

Chris sat on the floor next to Wyatt's new throne, staring blankly ahead with his latest, Wyatt-induced monochrome stare. Wyatt flicked his hands, causing another demon to appear in the room.

"Chris…" Wyatt prompted gently. Chris' hand shot out and sent an energy ball flying at the demon, incinerating him. "Good…" Wyatt reached down and ruffled Chris' hair, treating him more like an obedient pet than a human, than a brother…

Chris blinked, the old colour appearing in his eyes again for a second, the contact bringing the old Chris to the surface. "Wyatt? What… where?" Suddenly Chris felt a searing pain in the back of his skull and his eyes slid back to black.

"Good Chris…" Wyatt summoned another three demons, moving his brother with his power to the centre of them. "Go on…" Chris lashed out with his hands and within two seconds they were all dead. Wyatt smirked, dragging Chris back to beside his throne.

"Now… One last thing…" Wyatt waved his hand, and a piercing scream filled the air. A teenage girl appeared in the cavern, looking completely petrified. 

"What… Who are you people? Where am I?" She looked around at the rocky walls and shivered. Still in her powder blue tank top and pyjama bottoms she trembled slightly, feeling her toes start to go numb. She turned on the spot and revealing a ponytail of dark blond hair that stopped about mid-shoulder. "Who are you?" She asked again, blue eyes shining with tears. "W-where am I?"

"The last place you'll ever see…" Wyatt told her, looking down at Chris. Chris raised his hand, forming an energy ball in his palm.

"Wait, please, stop… I-I-I I don't even know you, why are you trying to kill me? Please, don't… please…" The girl pleaded, letting out a sob. Her breath came in ragged and fearful gasps.

"Chris…" Wyatt said, prompting his brother to kill the mortal. The younger Halliwell seemed to hesitate before throwing the deadly orb in the direction of the screaming teen. She held her hands in front of her face, giving a loud shriek. Suddenly the ball deflected and smashed into the wall, sizzling out and leaving a scorch mark.

"What did you do to me?" Chris demanded, standing up. His arm was still raised from throwing his own energy ball into the wall. "How am I throwing energy balls?"

"Who are you people?" The girl asked again, tearstains tracking down her face. She sunk to her knees and hugged herself. "I want to go home…"

"I know, it's ok…" Chris soothed, taking a step towards her.

"Chris, kill her…"

"No." He said coldly, turning back to Wyatt.

"What?" Wyatt asked in disbelief, refusing to believe that the Sword had failed. "Why not?"

"I am not going to kill an innocent, Wyatt. I will not sink to your level…"

Wyatt cursed himself, realizing that he had forced Chris to progress too fast, allowing Chris' good upbringing to shine through and defeat the Sword's power. Trying to get Chris to kill an innocent had shattered the hold he had had on his brother, snapping Chris out of the evil trance.

"I'm not going to let you kill her," Chris snarled, walking over to the girl and extending an arm to help her from the floor. She didn't take it, just looked up at him fearfully.

"Oh, you'll let me…" Wyatt said tauntingly, conjuring ten light darts and firing them into Chris' back, thudding into the flesh. Chris dropped to the floor, crying out and reaching behind him to wrench the weapons free with a fierce determination, glaring at Wyatt. The light darts disappeared as soon as the last one had been pulled out.

The girl screamed in fear, watching the blood bubble forth from the wounds and wind its way down Chris' back, soaking into his shirt. She began to scramble backwards, screwing her eyes shut and pretending to herself that this wasn't happening, that it wasn't true, that it was just a nightmare…

Chris rolled onto his back, using telekinesis to cast a rock at his brother. Wyatt gestured and the rock crumbled to small pieces, raining harmlessly to the floor in midair between the two men. Wyatt, taking a leaf out of his little brother's book, sent two rocks at Chris. 

Chris deflected one of them, sending it crashing to the back of the throne half an inch from Wyatt's head. The blond ducked as he was showered with pieces of rock. But the other stone hit Chris in the jaw, causing some damage.

Chris' head snapped to one side, spraying blood everywhere. He put the back of his hand to his mouth, gingerly testing it for blood. His hand was stained red. He spat out something hard in his mouth, and he realized that it was two teeth. His lip was split and there was the coppery smell of blood, and the metallic tang of it filled his taste buds. 

"Bathstud…" Chris slurred, tracing his tongue over the two holes where the teeth used to be.

"Is that anyway to talk to your brother, Chrissy?"

"Don call meh that…"

"Why not? What are you going to do?" Chris gestured and flipped Wyatt over the back of his throne.

"That." Chris spat, glaring hatred at his brother.

"Leave him alone!" The teen screamed, finding a voice and sticking up for Chris.

"Die bitch!" Wyatt yelled, throwing an energy ball. Chris put up his hands, ready to deflect it. But then he realized that Wyatt had been aiming at the teenager and not him… He flicked his hand but all that he moved was a pile of ashes. He shuddered, her dying screams echoing around in his mind. 

"I ate yoo, Wyatt…" Chris said, climbing shakily to his feet. Wyatt smirked and made a fist, and Chris felt the sense of dread that he associated with Wyatt trying to choke him. He tried to pry the invisible grip from his throat but failed. 

Slowly Wyatt lifted him into the air, and Chris looked down, seeing Excalibur propped up against the throne. He held out a hand and the Sword flew up to him and he gripped the hilt until his knuckles went white. The edges of his vision were going black as he swung the blade, connecting with Wyatt's magic and severing it. He fell to the ground choking.

Wyatt made another fist, this time lashing out at the air and giving a howl of anger. Chris caught the telekinetic blow in his stomach, and it sent him crashing into the wall. His grip on the Sword loosened, and it nearly hit the floor, but at the last minute his fingers curled tighter around the hilt. 

Chris rolled immediately, just feeling a glancing blow skim past his side. He winced, scrambling to get to the only cover in the room, the throne. He flung out an arm, but Wyatt held up his hand and the power dissolved.

Chris swore, realizing that he was in no state to win a fight against Wyatt, even with the Sword. He orbed away and Wyatt made a fist again, this time forcing Chris to reappear near the ceiling. The younger Halliwell hit the floor hard, bouncing once before coming to rest. He groaned and turned on his side, his hand reaching out for the Sword.

Wyatt stepped on his fingers, grinding them into the ground and smirking. Chris was a state, blood pouring from both nostrils and his face a bloody pulp. He had a black eye and what looked like a broken jaw. Blood dribbled constantly from in between his lips and the wounds in is back bled freely. Wyatt heard a satisfying crack as a finger broke, relishing Chris crying out with as much voice as he could with broken ribs restricting the volume.

Chris swung his other fist, smashing it hard into Wyatt's kneecap. Wyatt swore and his foot left Chris' hand, and Chris grabbed the Sword and orbed again, somewhat slower than before, behind the throne. He caught his breath, knowing that he didn't have long. 

He gripped Excalibur with both hands, standing on wobbly legs and slicing the top point of the throne off. He Tk'd the stone into Wyatt's chest, and the blond fell to the floor. Chris orbed away, urging himself from the cavern before Wyatt could come to his senses.


	11. Chapter 11

**I think there's one chapter left of this and maybe an epilogue, depending on how many issues I need to wrap up. **

**Wow, I wanna say wow… Thanks so much for all of your reviews, my head feels very inflated. You're all so kind, thank you! I also think that ff.net is being slightly odd, and the following are replies to reviews that were given to me for chapter 10, but if you reviewed chapter 9 after I posted chapter 10 they don't appear to be properly listed -- So I do appreciate you! I just can't see you to thank you…**

**Marie Walker****: - No problem, you're fic was EXCELLENT.**

**Xxaninsomniacsnightmarexx: - It only took me… 9 days… Oops… well thanks for reviewing and being patient!**

**Flephanie****: - Yes, I bash Chris… I'm not sure why, shall get back to you on that one… Anyways thanks for reviewing!**

**Random insane person****: - Blood… It's a cool colour though, no? Thanks for your review, and I'm not that bothered, you don't have to suppress hyperness… I've seen lots on my time…**

**Dark Fires****: - Lots of people like Chris bashing… You like a character you've just got to bash them, huh?**

**Russifoe****: - Chris shall get healed… Whether that's the end of his troubles or not is a completely different matter… **

**Karone Evertree****: - Yeah, poor Chris… I promised to write one fic where he didn't get hurt…**

**X3****: - Patience is a virtue… there was a really funny saying about that which I have now forgotten… Anyways thanks for you review!**

**Pixie Wildfire****: - Chapter 11! Here it is! Thanks for review, love ya!**

**Nautica7mk****: - everyone wants Chris to win! And quite right too! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Teresa****: - You only had to wait… Uh… a little over a week, lol… Which is too much time, really… Sorry… Thanks for your review.**

**Claddagh Ring****: - Yup, Chris always keeps fighting, right to the end. And yeah, why not inject some Piper/Leo fluff? It would work, it really would… Thanks for reviewing, I love your reviews!**

**Wait, that's twice! Lol, I'm slow ' eleven things?! Well I must admit I wasn't counting but ouch… Yeah, ouch… Sorry for taking so long!**

**Tp96****: - Aw, thanks!**

**Chrisoriented****: - Thank you!**

**denna5****: - Wyatt = very creepy in my opinion… But anyways… Thanks for reviewing!**

**Taynna****: - Chris is running, right back to his family. Aw… Although I'm not sure how long I could let any happiness last… insert evil grin here I'm not too good at evil mastermind writing… Wyatt will have nothing! Hahahaha! Good, serves him right!**

**Queen of the Elven City****: - Nah, how can you emotionally torture a corpse? Thanks for reviewing.**

**X Raya****: - Wow, thanks! I loved your review! I think I read Riddle Me This… If not poke me hard and I shall read and review… Thanks a lot!**

**Charmed Amber****: - Lots of people have been cringing… Well it makes a change from crying, right? Lol… farewell! **

**cherry7up56****: - Lots of people seem to be thinking jerk… Hm, wonder why? Lol…**

**Melissa****: - hopefully you're now unstuck for your screen…That could get messy, lol. Thanks for reviewing!**

**princesscatie21****: - Chris is definitely beating Wyatt…**

**Chattypandagurl****: - Aw thanks! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Thanks for everything!**

**Twisted Flame**

****

"I've got it!" Piper exclaimed, looking up, it was Leo. Slightly uncomfortable, she looked back down at the seething potion again, throwing in a sprig of thyme. The resulting explosion lifted her off of her feet and threw her backwards.

Leo waved an arm quickly and she disappeared in a cloud of orbs and reappeared by the couch in the living room, falling back onto it and scattering the cushions onto the floor. "I _thought_ I had it…" She absently put her hand to her stomach and rubbed in gentle circular motions, her eyes glazing over slightly. How could this be happening? How did her family turn out like this?

"Piper…" Leo prompted gently, wandering through from the kitchen and standing somewhat nervously in the doorway.

"Hm?" Piper looked up, startled. "Oh, right… I guess thyme wasn't the best ingredient to add, huh?"

"Guess not…" She sighed and chewed on her bottom lip, deep in thought. Leo leaned against the doorframe, silent and letting her think. Suddenly they both heard a loud crash from upstairs.

Leo dashed over to the couch, grabbed Piper's arm as she struggled to get up and orbed them both to the attic before Piper could say a word.

As the reappeared Piper began to sway on the spot, and put a hand to her head under her fringe. She started feeling dizzy, and bile rose in her throat. "Whoa…"

"Sit down…" Leo said, gesturing to the couch that was currently occupied by the two sleeping, younger Halliwells. "Ok, the rocker…" They turned behind them to see that the chair had become completely obliterated; splintered stakes of wood had rolled across the floor and in the middle of the destruction was…

"Chris!" Piper squealed, running over to him and couching down, her pregnant stomach getting in the way. She brushed hair out of his face and touched sticky, drying blood on his forehead. "Oh baby…" Piper murmured, tears blurring her vision.

His face was swollen; his jaw had been knocked into an odd angle. He was currently unconscious, although his fingers were still curled tightly around Excalibur. Piper suddenly felt hatred from the gleaming blade and wrenched it from Chris' grasp, striding over to the stone and thrusting it so hard into it that it touched the boarded floor underneath.

"Leo, heal him…" She turned and found Leo standing there, completely frozen. She looked down at her hands, wondering if her anger had triggered Chris' ability to tap into her powers. "Leo!" She yelled, making Paige stir and stretch.

The half-witch blinked and screwed her eyes closed, stretching long and luxuriously and giving a wide yawn. "P-p-piper?" She asked through a gaping mouth. Her stretching had dislodged Phoebe's head and slowly the middle sister began to wake as well.

"Ok, so you don't hear a huge crash but when I call for Leo you wake up?" Piper asked irritably.

"Crash?" Paige asked, looking at he sister and rubbing her eyes.

"Oh my God, Chris," Phoebe said, jumping off of the couch and going to see her nephew. "What happened?"

Piper looked at her youngest son with sad eyes. "Wyatt."

"Why is Leo frozen?" Paige asked, slowly circling the Elder and looking curiously at him. She touched his arm. The blond man sprang to life, looking confused.

"What happened? Piper?"

"Don't ask, just go heal Chris…" Leo looked over to the corner, where a pool of blood was beginning to creep from underneath his son.

He ran over to Chris but suddenly his legs tangled, and he tripped, hitting the floor hard. His hand reached up and clutched weakly at the arrow embedded deeply between his shoulder blades.

Paige eyes widened and she called for, "Arrow," and sent the orbs flying into a cardboard box. "Leo?"

"What happened?" Phoebe asked, looking for signs of an attack. The attic was eerily empty, considering that _something_ had just shot Leo in the back.

Paige felt an odd disturbance in the air behind her and turned to see another poisoned arrow flying at her chest. She twisted her body and the bolt barely missed, the cold barbed tip just grazing past her neck and leaving a long dark line that oozed with poison. The brunette cried out and slapped her hand to her neck immediately, watching the arrow embed itself, quivering, into the wall.

"Wyatt," Piper breathed, staring over Phoebe and Paige's shoulders. The two sisters turned to see their other nephew, a cruel smile twisted on his face. His mother saw the crossbow that he had in his right hand, pointed at the floor.

"You weren't supposed to guess, mother," Wyatt told her, curling his finger tighter around the trigger.

"Paige…" Piper warned, seeing the slight movement. Paige nodded and orbed away.

"Hm," Wyatt said, sounding disappointed. "I was really hoping to shoot her,"

Slowly orbing lights appeared behind Wyatt. Wyatt sensed the orb and turned, only to come face to face with his aunt. "Bastard," Paige spat, struggling with him as he tried to raise the weapon to shoot her. "Uh…" Paige panicked realizing that Wyatt was stronger than she was. She only had the advantage because of surprise…

"Arrow!" The arrow orbed out of the crossbow and into Wyatt's stomach, it had hardly needed to move. "You play with fire, you get burned… See how you like it," Wyatt looked down in shock at the bloodstain spreading across his shirt. The crossbow clattered to the floor as he sank to his knees.

Paige's hands were balled into fists, her face contorted with hate. He had tried to kill her! And he had shot Leo, and God only knew what he had done to Chris… "Bastard," She said again, callously stepping over the form of her nephew.

"Paige!" Piper's face was rather pale in shock. "It's no more than he deserves," Phoebe noticed a small trail of darkened blood leaking into her sister's shirt. Paige caught Piper reproachful look and sighed. "Look, I was angry, ok? Look what he did…" She touched her neck again, her fingers coming back sticky with poison and blood.

"I've got to switch powers with Leo," Phoebe announced, trying to remember the spell.

"Phoebe, no. I'll do it," Piper said. "I've done it before, I know the trigger…"

"Yes, but what if you add baby Chris' powers into the mix? You could give baby Chris Leo's powers, and then give your powers to Chris as well… Or whatever. I don't want that to happen…"

Piper nodded, reluctantly realizing that Phoebe made sense. "Fine. The trigger's love,"

Phoebe nodded as well. "Ok…" She inhaled, taking a deep breath and shaking out her shoulders. "Love… the trigger is love…

"_What's mine is yours,_

_What's yours is mine,_

_Let our powers cross the line._

_I offer up my gift to share,_

_So switch our powers through the air,"_

Nothing happened.

"What?" Phoebe asked, sounding confused.

"It's ok, you should have his powers now…"

"Ok… I'll give it a go…" She closed her eyes and took Leo's hand, holding her other hand out over the wound. "Ok, something should be happening around about now…" She tried again, willing the power out of her hands to the point that she was shaking with the effort.

"Phoebe, try Chris or Paige… You'll probably get more love out of direct family," Piper advised.

Phoebe moved over to Chris, and a look of sympathy crossed her face. He looked so peaceful asleep, and yet he was covered in wounds… She pulled a piece of rocker out from underneath him to make him more comfortable and he rolled over. Phoebe gasped, seeing the gaping holes that the light darts had made.

"Told you," Paige said, saddened eyes sweeping over Chris' bloodied and bruised form. "A darklighter arrow was no more than he deserved. Heal him, Phoebe."

Phoebe closed her eyes, putting her hand on his forehead. She sucked in a deep breath of air and when she opened her eyes a golden glow was enveloping Chris. The light soothed him, creeping over every part of his body, slowly and gently healing what Wyatt had done.

Piper crouched down next to Chris, gently brushing his hair away as his eyelids fluttered. "Hey, Honey…" Chris opened his eyes and slowly his mother came into focus.

"Hey…" He replied, reaching underneath him and pulling out a splintered piece of wood and wincing. "Did I land here?"

"Yeah…"

"Sorry…" Suddenly his face changed and he snapped back to proper reality. "Look, Wyatt's coming here really soon. He wants me dead…"

"No, look…" Piper gestured to where Wyatt was sprawled on the floor.

"What did you do to him?"

"I shot him," Paige said, a hint of regret coming into her voice for the first time. "Like he shot Leo…"

"Don't let him die. Please,"

"Chris, he tried to _kill _you!"

"I know… just… just don't let him die, ok? He's still my brother…"

"Ok. We won't… Don't worry…"

Phoebe looked down at her hands and realized that they hadn't stopped glowing yet. "Ok, this is weird…"

"Heal Leo first. Mine's just a scratch…" Paige said, gesturing to the unconscious Elder. Phoebe crouched down next to Leo and soon the golden light had healed him as well. He rolled onto his back and sat up.

"Need your power for a little longer, ok, buddy?" Phoebe said and went to heal Paige without waiting for an answer. The small cut healed quicker that everyone else's wounds and then Phoebe looked to Wyatt. She turned her head away as he gripped the shaft of the arrow and wrenched it free, the barbed tip pulling flesh out with it.

Flashes of pain crossed Wyatt's face and when he tried to throw the arrow away his arm failed him and the bolt fell limply to the boards and rolled. Phoebe walked over to him and he pushed her away.

"Hey, do you want to die?" She snapped. She took his sullen silence as a no and healed her nephew. "There. Wasn't so hard, was it?" Wyatt climbed to his feet.

"I'll take what's mine and leave, then," He held out his hand but Excalibur, buried deeply in the stone, didn't answer his summons. "What did you do with it?"

"You're not supposed to hurt people, Wyatt," Piper said, stepping forwards. "You weren't brought up that way…"

"But I became this way, didn't I, Mother?"

"You can change. You're only evil because you choose to be evil-"

"I can see where Chris got all of his morals from," Wyatt said, rolling his eyes. "Look. Good and evil are just words. They don't exist, not really. It's all about power, mother. Power and those who wield it," He looked directly at Chris, a look of contempt curling his lip into a sneer. "And those who refuse to,"

Chris glared back, not up for a fight right now. He remembered Wyatt saying exactly the same words as he had killed his best friend in front of Chris. Those exact words were etched into his memory for an eternity, garnished with screams of torment…

"Just leave, Wyatt. The future is still yours. Leave us alone,"

"But how much longer is the future mine, Chris? How much longer have I got security there with you screwing things up back here? Huh? Tell me that, Chris,"

"I don't want to fight you…" Chris told his brother, getting up from the floor. "So just leave,"

"Can't do that, Chrissy… You'll cease to exist yet," He grabbed Piper by her upper arm and dug his fingers into her flesh. She squirmed as he gently caressed her swollen stomach.

"Leave her alone," Chris said, shaking with anger.

Wyatt snorted and smirked in amusement. "Or what? You'll go running to Mommy? Oh wait, I've got her,"

"Better than being a Daddy's boy," Chris spat.

Wyatt narrowed his eyes and flung out an arm, sending Chris crashing into a wall. He slid to the floor. "Don't try and stop me. You know full well that you never could." Wyatt and Piper orbed away.

"Oh my God…" Phoebe said, having felt all of the animosity between the two brothers. It had left her near tears. "What are we going to do?"

"We're gonna do what we do most days, Pheebs. We're going vanquish a huge evil," Paige told her. "We need to lock and load, who's with me?"

"There's no time," Chris told them. "We've got to move now,"

"Chris, if we can just-"

"No, dammit! Now!" He strode across the room, grabbed the hilt of the Sword and pulled.

"Chris…" But Phoebe was cut off by a grating noise as Excalibur came free.

"Whoa… Ok, so there's more than one King Arthur?" Chris orbed away, avoiding Paige's question. "Damn that kid!"

Chris doubled over in pain as soon as he appeared in the cavern. The throne was still there but Wyatt and his Mom were nowhere to be seen. Searing pain caught him across the chest and he fell to his knees.

"Wyatt!" He called through gritted teeth.

"What's the matter, Chris? Not enjoying this?" Wyatt uncloaked himself and Piper, and Chris saw that he had a fist in her stomach. He dug his nails into his palms to stop himself screaming as Wyatt slowly rotated the fist, sending spasms of pain through him.

"Stop it!" Piper yelled, kicking backwards and connecting hard with her son's shin. Wyatt howled in pain and released her arm. She ran to Chris, gently rubbing his back while he caught his breath.

"I see you brought me something…" Wyatt held out his hand and the Sword leapt from Chris' weakened grasp and flew to his brother's hand. "Thanks, Chris…"

"You pulled Excalibur?" Chris nodded. "Oh my God…" Piper enveloped her youngest son in a hug. "That's brilliant…"

Wyatt snorted, twirling his sword lazily in his hand. "Please."

"Jealous, Wyatt?" Piper challenged, straightening up.

"Of him? No…" Piper smirked triumphantly, obviously he was. "Go sit down, mother."

"What? But I-" Wyatt waved a hand and Piper's eyes glazed over. "Yes." She walked over to the throne and sat down, staring blankly ahead.

"Mom?"

"She's fine, Chris… You on the other hand…" Chris raised an arm and flung out his power, but it hit the blade and dissipated. "That's the best you can do?" Chris saw the lump of stone he had used earlier and used his power to fling that at Wyatt, but in moves to swift for Chris' eyes to follow it fell to the floor, cleaved into four.

Chris weighed up the situation and realized that, without the Sword, he was not going to win. He began to orb towards Piper, intent on waking her and taking her away from Wyatt. Why hadn't he come with backup? Why had he been so damn rash?

He felt a hot pain in his side as Wyatt swung the Sword into his orbing lights. He reappeared instantly, clutching at the gash, blood flowing feely through his fingers. He pressed another shaking hand to his side and fell to the floor, his face screwed up in pain.

Wyatt stepped closer, looking down upon his dying brother and smirking. Chris' vision started to blur and dim.

"Aw, look. It this the end for Chrissy? The second-born, second-rated and most definitely second-best? Is this how he's going to go?" Wyatt grabbed a fist full of his brother's hair and pulled Chris' face close to his. "I'm gonna watch, Chris. And then I am going to take your baby self and turn him. And together we'll do great evil."

Chris shook his head, words sticking in his throat. Slowly a ringing began to overtake his hearing and garbled flashing scenes crossed his mind.

"Aw, is Chris dying? Mommy, Wyatt hurt me, Mommy, Wyatt's mean, Mommy…" Wyatt mocked as Chris slid into a weird and twisted world.

_A blue cape fluttered lightly as Chris zoomed around the room. Wyatt came in and snatched it away, tying it around his own neck. "It's mine!" _

_"Yeah, Chris. Go do some drawing Chris!"_

_"We don't want you!"_

_"But I did!" They were ignoring him, and he tugged at his Mom's skirt, holding the drawing aloft. "See?" The scene began to rush away, leaving Chris standing there as his family sped away without him. "Mommy!" He yelled, running after her. They disappeared into a point of light, which turned into an orange glowing standby light._

_"Let me go!" Chris yelled to Wyatt's guards as the flung him down. Wyatt held out his computer and the light enveloped him, swallowing him up and drawing him into the darkness, where he was flung across the room and down some stairs._

_"Help!" He yelled as he fell, watching his parents ignore him._

_"Isn't he sweet?" Piper cooed, tickling a baby Wyatt._

_"Mom!" He hit the floor hard, hearing a car honk and then Wyatt's footsteps thundered past him._

_"Bye Mom!" Wyatt called._

_"Bye, Sweetie! Don't tread on Chris!" But Wyatt did, trampling over Chris' stomach in a hurry to get out the door._

_"Hey!"_

_"Earthquake!" Piper yelled. "Where's your Dad? Oh well, it's not like he cares anyway… Mind out!" The floor opened up to swallow Chris._

_"Well done, Wyatt!" Leo congratulated, his face appearing at the hole to watch Chris fall._

_"Watch it!" Bade yelled, slamming Chris into the lockers. "You're a witch, Halliwell. You should die!"_

_"Die!" The demon shouted, flinging an energy ball at Piper. She hit the floor and rolled, morphing into Wyatt. _

_"You weren't supposed to kill her!" He screamed at the demon. "Why did you kill her?" The demon burst into flames._

_A spark from the flames ignited candles, it was Piper's funeral. Chris watched the coffin going up the aisle and then the smoke wreathing around the ceiling, which turned into…_

"Hey!" Wyatt yelled, slapping his face. Chris was jerked out of it, seeing stars.

"What?"

"What did you see?"

"You killed Mom!"

"That was a demon, Chrissy,"

"No, you made a deal with the demon? You twisted, sick bastard! And then you acted like you were mourning! It was guilt, dammit!" Chris moaned in pain, the shouting pulling at his wound. "I hate you," He hissed, turning away and seeing the bloody Sword where Wyatt had flung it. He held out his hand and called it to him, turning and stabbing out.

There was a gasp of surprise and Wyatt looked down at his stomach, to see the hilt of Excalibur sticking out from his gut. "C-Chris…?"

"Oh my God…" Chris put his head in his hands as his brother fell. "I'm sorry, Wyatt… I didn't mean to, don't die… Dad! Dad, Leo! Please…" His pleas for help echoed off of the dead empty walls of the Underworld. "Dad, God, please…" His eyes began to tear up, and then suddenly glistening tears tracked their way down his cheeks and fell onto Wyatt's chest.

"Chris? I'm sorry, Chris…" Wyatt whispered, his lips turning blue.

"Wyatt! No, please… Don't, I didn't mean it…" A sob wrenched at his heart as he saw white creeping across Wyatt's face, and then the lids closing over the grey eyes… "Wyatt…" Chris whispered, shaking his brother's shoulders. "Wyatt, please! Wyatt, no, don't leave me! Please don't leave me…" Wyatt's body began to fade, until there was just the outline. Wyatt's body disappeared in Chris' arms.

"Chris?" Piper called, coming out of her Wyatt-induced trance. "What happened? Where's Wyatt?"

"Wyatt won't hurt anyone anymore…" Chris assured, her, taking a shuddering gasp and falling sideways.

"Leo!" Piper yelled, seeing the sword wound. "LEO!"


	12. Chapter 12

**I feel totally blown away by all of you guys. Thanks so much for all of your reviews and encouragements, they've been so much help to me. Unfortunately this story had to end, and end it does now. Chapter 12 is the last chapter of LMBTM, and I want to say thanks to so many people.**

**MarieWalker****: - Thank you so much! Thanks for all of your fabulous reviews!**

**Dark Fires****: - I don't know why I always bash my favourite character… But anyway, thanks for reviewing.**

**Queen of the Elven City****: - Thanks! They're in the Underworld… Leo can't even hear them…**

**Flephanie****: - No, Chris rarely seems to have good days in my fics… But oh well, thanks for reviewing!**

**Aldrea7****: - Chris is very kind-hearted, that's why it's so much fun to hurt him… insert evil grin here but 'disappear' him? Would I do that? Hm? **

**Melissa****: - Deathbed apology… Nowhere near enough but there you are. Thanks for reviewing.**

**Eboni****: - Hm… I shall see about that, lol. Thanks so much for the compliment, it was really kind. It only took me winces eight days to update… sorry…**

**Nautica7mk****: - Yes, torturing Chris does stop. Because this is the end of this story!**

**Random insane person****: - Ah, would I kill Chris? Would I follow the show that closely? Let's just say… maybe…**

**Chattypandagurl****: - Wyatt's evil… He must die… Oh, wait, he did. Shame… NOT**

**X3****: - Yup, he has such morals… This is why it's fun to hurt him, lol… Thanks for reviewing.**

**Tami****: - Suspenseful? What a cool word!**

**silvermoon8705****: - Dreams are confusing and really hard to remember… Sometimes… Sometimes they're easy to remember… Chris wants to save Wyatt, I felt that that was very Chris… Thanks for reviewing!**

**Kiseki-no-neko****: - Whoa! Explosion of typing! Hm… I have no suggestions… I guess I suck, lol… See, I have updated! See? Memories are good, and I think that song from the Wizard of Oz does go like that… Oh well, I didn't drop a house on Wyatt…**

**Charmed Amber****: - Yeah, I hope to see you on MSN soon!**

**Taynna****: - Lol, just feel clever? You are clever! Piper puts the Sword back in the stone, so Wyatt can't get to it. I always thought that the Sword actually needed to be pulled from the stone, not just called for, and if it was in the stone it was safe from Wyatt for a little while… Thanks, I like the new pen name too!**

**Karone**** Evertree****: - Almost done? Yup, it's almost done… In fact this is the last chapter… Thanks for reviewing all the way through!**

**Claddagh Ring****: - Hey, great talking to you on Yahoo! Don't cry, it will be ok. I didn't mind you counting at all, I was just kinda shocked cuz I didn't count… lol… **

**evanescence2037****: - Well a week after you reviewed… Yeah, not so good, huh… sorry…**

**cherry7up56****: - Wyatt's really gone, and that's the end of that…**

**Denna5****: - Chris has lots of issues and I was hoping to drop a truck on Wyatt, but being ran through with a sword seemed pretty good…**

**Princesscatie21****: - Ooh, four days after you reviewed! feels proud Thanks for reviewing!**

**Whsgirl****: - Ok, I did! See?**

**Musicstarlover****: - Chris won't die… Or will he… Hm… I wonder…**

**iwhsgirl****: - Ok, will do!**

**_I want to thank all of my reviewers, and there's going to be a huge list, because you're all so great. I wouldn't have got anywhere without all of you! Thanks very much to:_**

**piperleo4eva**

**Alcandre: - Love you, hon!**

**Kiseki-no-neko: - Julia! Yay!**

**goldstranger: - Hey there**

**X3**

**Claddagh Ring: - Who inspired me to write this chapter! Thanks!**

**Freedra Kyes**

**M J Rosemary**

**Ak8**

**Pixie Wildfire: - Love you loads, bestest beta ever!**

**princesscatie21**

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**Taynna: - Your reviews have always helped me so much!**

**denna5**

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**Karone**** Evertree**

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**Ennaurial****: - Hey, I know you! You're the person who I know from somewhere… Talk to you soon!**

**darla101**

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**Thanks so much for all the support you gave me, it means a lot to me. You're all great, you really are. If you didn't see your name here and think that you should have done e-mail me or review and I shall send you a grovelling apology... Lol, thanks.**

**Twisted Flame**

****

"Leo!" Piper sobbed, shifting Chris' head onto her lap. "Leo, please!"

"We're… we're in the Underworld, Mom…" Chris reminded her in a whisper.

"Yeah…" Piper said, tears blurring her vision. She swiped them away, looking to the rocky ceiling. "Leeeeeoooo?" She begged, feeling Chris's breathing start to shudder. Piper sniffed again, smoothing down his hair and pushing it away from his sweaty forehead.

A warm glow suddenly bubbled up inside her and she looked down at her stomach, surprised to find it glowing with swirls of orbs. She gripped Chris' hand and slowly the light engulfed them both.

"Leo!" Piper screamed, appearing in the attic. Chris' breathing was shuddering again, and slowly his eyes were closing. Immediately Leo was by her side, skidding to a halt on his knees, his hands already glowing.

"Is it working?" Phoebe whimpered desperately, Piper's pain mingling with hers.

"Oh God, Leo! Why isn't it working?"

Leo shook his head, willing the glow to intensify. "I don't know…"

"Look… It _is_ working." Paige said, watching flesh begin to pinch together.

Piper's eyes brightened, shining madly as the healing light glittered in her tears. "He's going to be ok?" She murmured, wiping both of her eyes with the back of her hand.

Yeah, he'll be fine…" Leo assured, watching the wound seal. Flesh grew over the puncture and all the blood disappeared. Finally the job was finished and Leo let his hands fall. Chris moaned softly and began to stir.

"Mom?" He croaked, seeing her blurry face swim across his vision.

"Sweetie, yes…" Piper said, tears of sadness now replaced with tears of joy. "Yes…?"

Chris coughed slightly and sat up, realizing that he was still holding the bloody sword in crimson fingers. He pushed himself up from the floor and thrust the weapon back into the stone violently. "Don't ever let me touch that thing again," He spat, glaring vehemently at the glinting blade. "I don't ever want to feel that again…"

He closed his eyes, still feeling the Sword puncture his brother's abdomen, sliding in until it was stuck up to the hilt… He shuddered, feeling warm blood flow in between his fingers, watching Wyatt's grey eyes glaze over as he died… He let out a small sob and orbed away.

Rain lashed at the stained glass windows, the fat drops rolling down the glass. Chris stared out on the window, the raindrops throwing shadows across his face. A streak of lightning slashed across the sky, illuminating the tears on his face for a split second. He absently counted in his head.

_'One __Mississippi__, two __Mississippi__, three __Mississippi__, four __Mississippi__,' _Thunder rumbled and he stopped counting, leaning his head back against the wall.

He was sitting on the window seat in the attic, leaning against the wall and with his legs hugged to his chest. He sniffed again and wind smattered water onto the pane. He hadn't turned the lights on, so only dull grey light filtered in from the outside.

He looked down at his hand again; just to make sure they weren't still stained with the blood of his brother. A gust of wind threw water violently at the Manor and the window became completely grey and opaque for a few seconds. Chris breathed out and the window misted up. He pulled his hand up into his sleeve and rubbed the glass clear.

He heard the door creak open behind him and the lights clicked on, allowing himself to see his own reflection in the dark window. His hair was a mess and his face was pale, eyes red from crying.

"Chris?" Piper asked quietly, "What are you doing up here all alone?"

"Thinking," Chris replied in a muffled voice, hurriedly combing his hair with his fingers and wiping his eyes, "Why?"

"I'm just worried about you…"

"Well don't be," he said, sounding harsher than he meant to, "I'm fine,"

"It doesn't look like it…" Chris wondered how Piper could tell, as he hadn't yet looked at her. Chris turned around and saw Piper standing in the middle of the attic, looking concerned. "Look, Chris… My expertise as a Mom hasn't gone much past changing diapers, ok? I've not dealt with adolescent problems, or anything like that, so bare with me, ok?"

Chris didn't answer, just looked at her with shimmering eyes, "Ok…" She took a deep breath in and looked at her youngest son, "What you did saved the world, Chris. I don't know what Wyatt would have done with that Sword, and quite honestly I don't want to think about it, but from what you've told me of the future that could have happened here. You're a hero, Chris, you really are…"

"Yeah, well… Heroism sucks, ok?" He turned back to the window again.

"I know it hurts… And I know that it won't stop hurting… But you vanquished a great evil. And you don't need to feel bad because of that…"

"It actually hurts… I can't believe what I did… I killed him, Mom…"

"But you had to. Had there been another way you would have found it… But now you," She put her hand on her stomach, "And your brother can enjoy the future together, it's like a fresh start…" She crossed the room to sit down next to Chris, and he moved his sock-clad feet to make room.

She took his arm and stoked it gently with her thumb, watching a watery smile creep across his face, "You used to do that to me when I was little," he whispered, closing his eyes to squeeze back tears.

"Yeah?"

"Yup," Chris replied in conformation, "And it used to send me right off to sleep…"

"Thanks for the tip," Piper said, hugging him. They were silent for a few moments, enjoying the comfort. "Now," Piper said briskly, "Want some hot chocolate?"

Chris grinned slightly, "Yeah, thanks," Piper left the room, turning the lights out so Chris could watch the storm. The trees outside were swaying violently now, groaning as the wind tried to tear them from the ground. Chris swung his legs back up onto the seat again and sighed.

Whatever Piper said, it didn't make it right, nothing could justify murder. Nothing. He had sunk as low as Wyatt, and hated to admit it. Forked lightning tore across the sky again, frying a metal electricity box on a utility pole. A huge spray of sparks shot into the air and all of the lights in the street went out.

He held out his hand and a box of matches and a thick white candle flew threw the air. He caught them, struck a match and put the light on the end table beside him. The small orange sphere dipped and wavered in a draught.

A powerful beam of a flashlight cut through the darkness onto his face, blue with brightness. He hissed in pain as his pupils shrunk, shielding his face with his hands.

"Sorry," Piper said sheepishly, pointing the beam to the floor and setting a mug down on the table next to the candle.

"'S'ok…" Chris assured her, seeing spots dance in front of his vision.

"I just put new batteries in… I guess they're a little powerful, huh?"

Chris nodded and looked down at his mug, "Do we have any marshmallows?"

"Marshmallows?" Piper echoed.

"Yeah, little white things that float in your drink?"

"Hey, I know what they are. Whether we have any or not…" She left the attic again, leaving Chris shielding the candle with his hand.

"Marshmallows?" Piper repeated, holding her flashlight between her teeth and standing on tiptoe to rummage through the cupboard, "That kid will be the death of me… and of himself…" He fingers brushed a packet and she tugged on it, pulling down a packet of marshmallows. Triumphantly she split the packet open and grabbed a few, popping them into her mouth.

She began the climb to the attic, but when she got there all she saw was a single blue orb disappearing rapidly from her sight and the steaming and untouched mug of drink left abandoned on the table.

Chris immediately grabbed one of the huge suspension wires to stop himself being blown off the bridge. The wind was blowing a gale up here… He pulled his jacket tighter around him and huddled down, using a metal girder as slight shelter.

The rain drove down onto him and within minutes he was completely soaked, drenched to the skin. His jeans were sticking to him in large, wet clumps and his hair was plastered to his head and face. He squinted through the drops gathered on his eyelashes and felt water trickle down the back of his neck.

Suddenly he sprang up from his shelter and was caught in a vicious gust of wind, leaving him barely able to hold on. Still the storm raged, and the headlights of the cars below were blurred as they sped home through the weather.

Lightning shot through the sky and Chris threw up both of his arms, allowing rain to run down his sleeves. He tilted his head backwards, allowing the heavy rain to thunder across his features, lowering his arms.

Slowly the storm ceased, and the rain decreased slightly, allowing him a better view of the city. Half the lights were out, he noted. Probably still a blackout. A wind lifted sopping tendrils of hair slightly, and for the first time goose bumps raced up and down his body.

He looked to the sky, where the clouds were slowly thinning out to reveal dotted stars, "I'm sorry Wyatt…" He murmured, watching the moon slowly creep into view. "I'll always love you…"

At home he knew Piper would be frantic, and when he got there she would reheat his drink and grab him a blanket. Smiling slightly at the thought of a warm bed after all of the day's events, he orbed away, leaving the tallest pillar empty.


End file.
